hayandforage.com
November 2023
Swath grazing can work pg 14 All grass, all the time pg 18 Seed supplies are mostly adequate pg 20 Center-pivot mowers pg 30 Published by W.D. Hoard & Sons Co.
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November 2023 · VOL. 38 · No. 6 MANAGING EDITOR Michael C. Rankin ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amber M. Friedrichsen ART DIRECTOR Todd Garrett EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Jennifer L. Yurs ONLINE MANAGER Patti J. Hurtgen DIRECTOR OF MARKETING John R. Mansavage ADVERTISING SALES Kim E. Zilverberg kzilverberg@hayandforage.com Jenna Zilverberg jzilverberg@hayandforage.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Patti J. Kressin pkressin@hayandforage.com
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W.D. HOARD & SONS PRESIDENT Brian V. Knox
Vying for water in the valleys Two hay producers from Southern California share the challenges they face growing forage in the desert that demands year-round irrigation despite having limited water supplies.
EDITORIAL OFFICE 28 Milwaukee Ave. West, Fort Atkinson, WI, 53538 WEBSITE www.hayandforage.com EMAIL info@hayandforage.com PHONE 920-563-5551
DEPARTMENTS 4 First Cut 14 The Pasture Walk 15 Beef Feedbunk 16 Alfalfa Checkoff 21 Feed Analysis
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Amazing alfalfa
Singing the praises of baleage
The agronomic benefits of alfalfa are well known, but its virtues as a feedstuff are often undervalued.
This Iowa farmer found a niche making low-moisture baleage for dairy cattle.
24 Dairy Feedbunk 29 Sunrise On Soil 30 Forage Gearhead 31 Machine Shed 38 Forage IQ 38 Hay Market Update ON THE COVER
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5 COMMANDMENTS FOR BALE GRAZING IN THE EAST
BE A KEEPER OF LEAVES
SWATH GRAZING CAN WORK
TEFF GRASS OFFERS CROPPING AND FEEDING BENEFITS
IS MY PASTURE THE PROBLEM?
HOT TOPICS IN FORAGE RESEARCH
ALL GRASS, ALL THE TIME
SOIL CARBON IN THE ROOT ZONE
FORAGE SEED SUPPLIES ARE MOSTLY ADEQUATE
CENTER-PIVOT MOWERS OFFER EFFICIENCIES
Installing sprinkler irrigation systems is just one way farmers in the Colorado River Basin can reduce their water consumption. These systems have been shown to be more water efficient than flood irrigation, which is becoming more critical as factors such as an ongoing drought and booming urban populations tighten water supplies out West. Photo by Mike Rankin
HAY & FORAGE GROWER (ISSN 0891-5946) copyright © 2023 W. D. Hoard & Sons Company. All rights reserved. Published six times annually in January, February, March, April/May, August/September and November by W. D. Hoard & Sons Co., 28 Milwaukee Ave., W., Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538 USA. Tel: 920-563-5551. Fax: 920-563-7298. Email: info@hayandforage.com. Website: www.hayandforage.com. Periodicals Postage paid at Fort Atkinson, Wis., and additional mail offices. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscribers may subscribe at: USA: 1 year $20 U.S.; Outside USA: Canada & Mexico, 1 year $80 U.S.; All other countries, 1 year $120 U.S. For Subscriber Services contact: Hay & Forage Grower, PO Box 801, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 USA; call: 920-563-5551, email: info@hayandforage.com or visit: www.hayandforage.com. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HAY & FORAGE GROWER, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W., Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538 USA. Subscribers who have provided a valid email address may receive the Hay & Forage Grower email newsletter eHay Weekly.
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FIRST CUT
Getting started
T Mike Rankin Managing Editor
HIS column is almost always the last thing to get written for an issue of this magazine, and I’m often asked, “How do you think of things to write about?” Unlike doing an article on a specific farm or designated topic, the forage world is my grocery store candy aisle from which to pick topics for this column. I can go a multitude of directions, and I guess that’s why it makes it hard to get started, and why this is usually the last horse out of the barn. That said, starting a column doesn’t compare to starting a farm. Nothing is accomplished until we get started, but that initial dive into untested waters can sometimes be thwarted by fear, indecision, uncertainty, or a lack of knowledge. I graduated from college with every intention of someday farming on my own. Of course, I had no home farm to return to, so the plan was to work for someone else and build equity, which I did. For all the reasons listed above and more, I never did take the plunge and get started farming on my own, but I have no regrets. What I’ve done since has never taken me far from the farm and farmers. My own experience is perhaps why I’m always interested in how others started farming. It’s a question I ask during every interview, and the responses never cease to amaze me. Given the difficulty to simply start farming these days, you might think that most people simply came back to the family farm and continued what their parents and generations before had always done. Certainly, that’s the story for a lot of operations, but it’s not for many others. I’ve found that even a return to the family farm may mean the start of a new enterprise so that the farm could support one more family. That new enterprise was often the addition of a commercial hay or custom forage harvesting business on an existing row-crop or livestock farm. I talked to three individuals during this past summer who got their start this way — two well-established and one in the early stages of his commercial hay producer career. For sure, going back to the home farm gives a person a leg up to get started, even when getting a new enterprise off the ground. That’s why the other common story I hear is even more admirable. It generally goes something like this: “I’m a first-generation farmer. I worked for a neighboring farm while in high school (or college)
and eventually was able to buy a used tractor and a (fill in the blank with a junk hay stacker or baler) to start doing custom work. Eventually, I was able to lease a field to make my own hay. From there, I leased another, and another, until I could upgrade my equipment. Things just grew from there . . .” Often, these same farmers are currently baling hundreds of acres of hay and some are operating some of the most successful operations in the country. I’ve heard several similar stories from custom forage harvesters who started driving silage trucks for someone else and eventually worked their way up to their own custom forage harvesting business. Of course, it’s also not unusual to hear start-up stories from grazing-based livestock operations. Again, these individuals start with a few cows, lease a few acres, and grow with the years. Unlike machinery and land, cows have the ability to multiply themselves. All of this brings us to the question of whether a young person can start farming today or if we have reached the point where the current economies of agriculture have made that dream improbable, if not impossible. If you’re a glass-half-full person, as I am, the dream of starting a farm still remains attainable. In my lifetime, it seems that passion and drive have always been able to overcome economic obstacles. I will bet any amount of money that in 25 years, agricultural writers will be penning stories about farmers who started with a used hay stacker, baler, or silage truck in 2023. None of this is to suggest that starting from nothing is easy. It’s not. Without exception, the start-up stories I have heard and written about over the years always involve a trusted mentor, adviser, and/or someone who gave them a break along the way. Sometimes it was a family member, but it’s also not uncommon for that person to be a neighbor, an employer, or a lender. Everyone needs a break and some luck to assist passion and drive. Happy foraging, •
Write Managing Editor Mike Rankin, 28 Milwaukee Ave., P.O. Box 801, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 call: 920-563-5551 or email: mrankin@hayandforage.com
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Hay producers in Southern California — and the rest of the Colorado River Basin — struggle to find balance between conserving water and maximizing forage yields.
VYING FOR WATER IN THE VALLEYS by Amber Friedrichsen
W
HEN Ronnie Leimgruber’s grandfather came to America from Switzerland in 1910, he settled in the Imperial Valley of Southern California. He purchased land, claimed water rights, and started milking dairy cattle by hand. Hundreds of other small-scale dairymen in the Imperial Valley did the same until urbanization along the coast pulled cow herds and milk processing plants in the same
direction. Then, the desert farmers started making hay. As land passed from one generation to the next, so did the water rights Leimgruber’s grandfather held. In fact, the entire valley is a grid of various shades of green despite being surrounded by a bone-dry desert because of irrigation water from the Colorado River. California — along with Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada — comprise the Colorado River Basin and adhere to the prior appropriation system, which protects
senior water rights of settlers according to a first come, first serve basis. Most of the water rights are still being used for agricultural production like they were a century ago, but the laws that were once set in stone seem more and more to be written in sand. “We haven’t changed the number of acres we are farming since they allocated the river water in the early 1920s,” Leimgruber said, driving alongside his alfalfa fields, monitoring his flood irrigation systems. However, the ongoing drought across the West,
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All photos: Amber Friedrichsen
unpredictable snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and a rising population in major cities are just a few of the factors making it difficult to secure the water supply he needs to sustain his commercial hay operation.
It’s all irrigated Leimgruber owns about 2,500 total acres of farmland, including nearly 1,500 acres of alfalfa, 500 acres of bermudagrass, and 500 acres rotated to vegetables like carrots, onions, and lettuce. The family business near the
small town of Holtville is anchored in hay and forage, but the rotation crops are also critical to our nation’s food supply. Roughly 90% of the United States’ leafy greens are produced in the Imperial and Yuma Valleys. In an area that receives less than 2 inches of rainfall annually, irrigation water is the crux of production. “It never freezes, so we never stop growing, and that means I have to apply about 120 inches of irrigation water in order to make hay,” Leimgruber said. Those 120 inches of water translate to about 6 acrefeet per year. It is managed by the Imperial Valley Irrigation District and flows to his flood-irrigated fields via cement canals that shoulder the county roads. Alfalfa in particular receives pushback in the West because of its perceived high water usage; however, alfalfa yields in the Lower Colorado River Basin states are among the best in the country, and the forage’s water-use efficiency outshines other crops on a yield per water unit basis. For example, Leimgruber typically makes 10 cuttings of alfalfa every year, getting 8 to 14 tons of forage per acre, depending on the specific characteristics of a stand. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the national yield for alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures was slightly more than 3 tons per acre in 2022. Leimgruber harvests hay about every 26 days most of the year and flood irrigates fields two times between cuttings. He slows his harvest schedule to roughly every 35 days when temperatures hit triple digits in the summer. During this oppressive stretch, it takes less than 24 hours for forage to dry down to 10% to 12% moisture. With the help of eight full-time employees, including his oldest son and daughter, Leimgruber makes large square bales of alfalfa hay that are shipped across the Arizona state line and exported to Middle Eastern countries for dairy cattle. He also makes 95-pound small square bales of alfalfa and bermudagrass hay to sell as retail horse feed. There are about 750,000 horses within a 200-mile radius of his farm, and his customers in this branch of the business expect consistent service and supreme forage quality.
Efficiency inquiries In addition to flood irrigation, Leimgruber has installed sprinkler irriga-
tion systems in four of his alfalfa fields with funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Sprinkler irrigation has been shown to be more water efficient than flood irrigation, and the Imperial Valley Irrigation District compensates farmers who implement the former strategy to encourage water conservation. Leimgruber saves about 1 acre-foot of water a year with each of his sprinkler systems, and he has noticed higher alfalfa yields on these fields. With that said, the sprinklers operate about 20 days a month, and considering the infrastructure and inputs required, he often contemplates the true meaning of efficiency.
Ronnie Leimgruber opens a cement valve to flood irrigate one of his alfalfa fields near Holtville.
“How do you measure efficiency?” the inquisitive alfalfa producer asked. “These sprinkler systems run for 4,000 hours, use about 5,000 gallons of diesel, have about a mile of galvanized piping, and have over 1,000 plastic hoses and regulators. When we flood irrigate, it just takes an irrigator, a cement canal, and some cement valves.” Deficit irrigation is another concept that has crept across the Imperial Valley as the three states that comprise the Lower Colorado River Basin — California, Nevada, and Arizona — have signed a memorandum of understanding to conserve 3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2026. California alone has agreed to save 1.5 million acre-feet of water over the next three years to try to maintain water levels in the river, as well as Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which are formed by the Glen Canyon Dam and the Hoover Dam, respectively. One strategy farmers can implement to achieve this goal involves not irrigating alfalfa fields from July 1 through November 2023 | hayandforage.com | 7
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own cycle — its own rotation.” Like Leimgruber, Robinson makes large square bales of alfalfa hay for dairy cattle and small square bales of alfalfa and bermudagrass hay for horses with the help of about 25 full-time employees. Most of his hay is distributed domestically, including to racetracks in Florida where equine owners praise its high quality and palatability.
September 1 when plants require more water to survive the stifling desert weather. Although alfalfa goes dormant due to the break in irrigation, it fully recovers when it is watered again. Nonetheless, Leimgruber is prudent to the impacts this practice will have on his overall production. “We probably won’t do deficit irrigation on our first-year alfalfa stands because you can get pretty good production from them in the summer and it might not pay off,” Leimgruber said about growing forage in 2024. “Depending on what the price of hay is, we will probably do it on our second-, third-, and fourth-year stands, but we will lose about 2 tons of alfalfa to the acre.”
Palo Verde perspective Ninety miles northeast of the Imperial Valley is the Palo Verde Valley where farmers face similar trials and tribulations regarding irrigation. The considerably smaller irrigation district also incentivizes deficit irrigation, but alfalfa producers like Brad Robinson still feel fingers pointing at them for continuing to grow the perennial legume. “Alfalfa is the devil according to a lot of people because it uses so much water, but it is necessary for feeding cows and sheep and horses,” said the third-generation farmer from Blythe. “We are still using the same amount of water we used 60 years ago. Nothing has changed here. What has changed is the number of other people who want the water.” Robinson’s property, as well as the rest of the Palo Verde Valley, is unique in that the landscape naturally slopes to the south. Because of this, drainage ditches have been installed to collect irrigation water once it has flooded fields and percolated through the soil. The water is recycled back to the Colorado River, which borders the eastern edge of the valley, but despite the lower irrigation rates achieved by this return flow system, water supplies in the area remain low. Fallowing fields is one way Robinson saves water, although the number of acres that sits idle varies from year to year. He has about 1,000 acres in alfalfa at any given time, and he also grows bermudagrass, teff grass, and a threeway mix of oats, wheat, and barley for dry hay. Robinson rotates these forages
Hopes and fears
Despite the arid climate, hay producers like Brad Robinson boast some of the best alfalfa yields in the country.
with cotton, corn, wheat, and several varieties of melons, and he is part of a program where he can conserve up to 35% of his irrigation water a year by fallowing fields for financial compensation. In the summer of 2023, he did so on about 700 of his 3,100 total acres. “The past two years, we did some additional fallowing that kept water in Lake Mead,” Robinson said. “It probably would have been better off to farm it because hay prices were sky high, but for the sake of the river, we ended up fallowing.” In his actively growing alfalfa stands, Robinson harvests hay seven to nine times a year and achieves average yields between 7 and 8 tons of forage per acre. He cuts forage every 32 days in February, March, and April, and then extends this period to about every 36 days to accommodate slower plant growth in the summer. Each field is usually watered two to three times between cuttings with a gravity fed irrigation system, and Robinson adjusts irrigation rates according to the soil properties in a field. He also strategically manages his harvest schedule to maximize water use on every acre. “We have alluvial soils because of how the river naturally flowed through here, so I could have sandy soil on one end of the field and heavy clay on the other,” he said. “I typically cut about 80 to 90 acres of hay a day because I don’t want to try to water hundreds of acres all at once. Every field has its
Even though Robinson primarily takes part in the national market, a small percentage of his early hay cuttings is sold overseas. Other farmers in the area make more significant contributions to export sales, which fuels the fire against using water to grow alfalfa that is shipped to other countries. Another argument opposing agricultural water use in the Colorado River Basin is that alfalfa should be grown in regions with ample annual rainfall, but doing so would drastically dampen the forage’s yield potential. Relocating alfalfa acres would consequently disrupt shipping logistics and intensify transportation costs, and Robinson fears doing so would negatively affect our nation’s food supply. “It’s going to take twice the amount of acreage to grow alfalfa in other areas and produce what we produce here,” he said. “If we put a million alfalfa acres in the northern part of the country, those million acres have to come out of some other sort of production.” Robinson believes in the mission to conserve water from the Colorado River, but the best ways to implement advanced irrigation technologies, promote deficit irrigation, and incentivize fallowing programs are still unclear. What is clear, though, is his steadfast stewardship that is rooted in a desire for collaboration between crop producers and water consumers that will benefit the future of his farm and the industry as a whole. “Every valley is different, and every farmer has different circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” Robinson asserted. “It’s hard to plan for anything. I just have to see what happens and make changes so the farm stays profitable, and so I can hopefully continue what generations before me did and hand the next generation a ranch that is better than the ranch that was handed to me.” •
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COMMANDMENTS FOR BALE GRAZING IN THE EAST
by Greg Halich
B
ALE grazing in the eastern U.S. has its challenges compared to traditional, more Northern regions where the system is used. To be successful in areas with more moderate winters, you need to do a few things differently. In my experience, there are a number of fundamental concepts that need to be followed to make bale grazing work well here. I have had many people tell me they tried bale grazing and that it will not work under in conditions such as those found in Kentucky. In just about every case where they explained how they were implementing bale grazing, they were not adhering to one or more of the following fundamental concepts, which I will frame as the “Five commandments for bale grazing in the East.”
1
Thou shall not feed more than 2 tons of hay per acre. The biggest problem I see with bale grazing in the eastern U.S. is feeding at densities that are much too high for our winter conditions. This typically results in pastures that are severely pugged. Why do so many people make this mistake? If you do an internet search for videos or images of bale grazing, the odds are good you will find something from the Great Plains or Canada. This is where bale grazing first became pop-
ular and is a common form of wintering cattle today. This region is characterized by cold winters, where the soil is frozen solid for months, and significantly lower levels of precipitation compared to the eastern U.S. These two factors combine to provide a long window of prime feeding conditions of either dry or frozen ground that results in minimal soil disturbance from bale grazing. This allows animals to be fed at high densities, and pugging is rarely an issue. This same high-density bale grazing will not work well in most of the East. Sometimes, you will get lucky and conditions will be dry or frozen for a period of time, and the bale grazing will go reasonably well. But at some point, the soil will become saturated, the sod will start falling apart, and pastures will turn into mud holes. What is the ideal hay density to avoid severe pugging? The answer will depend on the soil type, management skills, cattle size, and other factors. For beginning bale grazers, I like to see a maximum of around 2 tons of hay fed to the acre, which is roughly four 5x5 bales or five 4x5 bales. Except with the most extreme weather or with poorly drained soils, this will generally keep pugging to acceptable levels. There are many situations where 4 tons per acre would likely be fine, but you will not know this until you have gained experience. For
the majority of farms, 2 tons per acre is a good place to start.
2
Thou shall not allow cattle unfettered access to a pasture. The only way I have seen bale grazing work well in the East is by using temporary electric fencing and rotational grazing techniques to ration out the hay and to make sure the cattle are constantly getting fresh pasture every one to seven days. I have seen farms try to implement bale grazing without using temporary electric fencing. They either set hay out every few days, gradually spreading the bales around the pasture, or put out four to eight bales at a time in a few large pastures. They then rotate cattle from one pasture to the next and do it all over again when they get to the end. I have not seen even one of these situations turn out where the farmer was happy with the results. Usually, there is a lot more pugging than they were expecting. Why is this? With well-managed bale grazing, cattle will always be getting “fresh” ground every time the fence is moved forward, which, if planned correctly, hasn’t seen a cow hoof since early to mid-fall. This unimpacted ground will be a lot more resilient compared to ground that cattle have been walking over for weeks or months at a time. Cattle that have unfettered access to a large pasture are going to tend to
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wander, especially if they get hungry. It is during these times of aimless walking that the cattle are causing the most damage. Sometimes the damage is not obvious in that there is not much mud, but the sod becomes weakened from all of the hoof traffic. When you then drive over that ground with a tractor or feed a bale in that location, the sod will come apart much quicker compared to “fresh” ground. Where the fence is constantly being moved forward, cattle will spend the vast majority of their time on that new strip of pasture with the new bales of hay. The ground will be cleaner and drier than the pasture they previously had access to. As a general rule, they will spend a lot less time walking around, even though they have access to the areas they have already bale grazed in that pasture. The end result is much less damage to pastures compared to cattle having unfettered access to the pasture.
3
Thou shall not set out hay piecemeal. A major benefit of well-planned bale grazing is a significant reduction in machinery and labor costs compared to any other form of winter hay feeding. This benefit is made possible by setting out a large percentage of the winter hay needs at one time. It should be obvious that setting out a wagon or trailer load of hay will be more efficient than setting out one to two bales at a time. But what might not be as intuitive is why setting out multiple wagon or trailer loads of hay can be much more efficient than setting out just one at a time. Once you have the equipment ready, the more hay you can move before that equipment is put away, the greater the efficiencies will be. You are spending less time per unit of hay moved hooking up equipment, opening and shutting barn doors, inflating wagon tires, getting yourself and your helpers ready, and then putting everything away when you are finished. These are “setup costs,” and it doesn’t matter if you move one load or 10 loads of hay, they will be the same. The other reason that setting out a large portion of your hay at one time is generally more efficient is that it allows you (with proper planning) to wait for soil conditions that are near optimal to move hay — either dry (best) or frozen ground. Hay can be moved more efficiently in these conditions compared to even slightly wet conditions. For exam-
ple, I can pull a fully loaded wagon of hay with a medium-sized pickup truck about anywhere on either of my two farms when conditions are dry, but I struggle to pull a wagon with even a few bales when the soil is saturated. When both of these efficiencies are combined, it is amazing how quickly you can move hay. My favorite example is with a farm I’d been working with that was starting into their third year of bale grazing. Up to that point, they were putting hay out mostly one load at a time. That third fall, with some encouragement, they set out all the hay they needed for a 40-cow herd in just under four hours (two people with a tractor-loader and pickup with trailer). The hay lasted from late November until early March. During that time, they never had a tractor on that farm. They moved the cattle every five to seven days, spending an hour on average moving the fence and four hay rings to the next set of bales. I could not believe how drastic a time saver it turned out for them. You don’t have to set out this much hay at a time, but I generally advise setting out at least a third of your overall hay needs. This will capture the bulk of the cost-saving efficiencies compared to setting out hay piecemeal. Just don’t wait until you are within a week of running out of hay. In most of the East, you can easily have two- to threeweek periods where ground conditions are constantly wet.
4
Thou shall not bale graze the same pasture more than once per winter. About six years ago, I was helping a farm implement bale grazing and they underestimated how much hay they would need to get the cattle through the winter. They bale grazed over the entire farm and still had two to three weeks left to feed hay. They set out more hay on the first pasture they bale grazed. I suspected that pasture would be set back a bit, but I was completely surprised by the severity: A month into the growing season, the pasture still did not look like it was thick enough to graze. By early summer it looked fine, but much of the spring growth potential was lost. I have seen the same thing happen on other farms after this experience, and thus my general recommendation is that you should never bale graze twice in the same pasture in a given winter.
The only exception to this rule is if you are purposely trying to set back the pasture for something like overseeding clover. In this case, setting the pasture back temporarily can be a benefit for the establishment of developing forage seedlings and their ability to compete with the existing sod.
5
Thou shall not let your cattle go hungry. This really is a rule that should apply to any feeding method. As the old saying goes, “You can’t starve a profit out of a cow.” But it can be particularly important with bale grazing because cattle can and typically do have access to large areas of pasture. With well-managed bale grazing, cattle will spend the vast majority of their time on the new strip of pasture they have with the current bales they are eating. This is assuming they have adequate feed in the strip of pasture (hay and possibly stockpiled forages). However, if the cattle are hungry, they are going to wander around the pasture, and that is going to be when most of the damage occurs. You do not want your cattle to move around the pasture, especially when it is wet. You want them content and either actively eating or lounging on the clean and dry section of new pasture. Making sure your cattle don’t go hungry will go a long way in keeping bale grazing damage to a minimum.
It can be done There are some really wet-natured soils that, even if following these rules, you will still have pugging problems with when the soils become wet and saturated. On most farms, however, following these rules will help avoid the bulk of the pitfalls that can cause bale grazing to be a bad experience in the eastern half of the U.S. Don’t let the challenges of bale grazing in this region scare you off from implementing this winter feeding technique. It can be done effectively; you just need to learn a few fundamental concepts to make it work well. •
GREG HALICH The author is a grassfinishing cattle farmer in central Kentucky and an agricultural economist at the University of Kentucky.
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by David C. Weakley
major contributor to the ruminant’s metabolizable protein supply.
ESPITE the fact there is no symbiotic relationship between alfalfa and ruminants, the nutrient composition of alfalfa complements the nutritional needs of ruminant animals surprisingly well. While we know more about some of alfalfa’s nutrient components, such as neutral detergent fiber (NDF), rumen undegraded protein (RUP), starch, fat, and minerals than we do about others, such as pectin, water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and rumen degraded protein (RDP), all play an important role in the nutrition of ruminant animals. Alfalfa contains the highest protein of any forage. For formulating ruminant diets, the crude protein is further subdivided into that which is degraded in the rumen (rumen degraded protein, RDP) and the remainder that escapes ruminal degradation (rumen undegraded protein, RUP) to flow into the small intestine as part of the animal’s absorbed, metabolizable protein (MP) supply. The conventional belief is that most of the protein that is degraded in the rumen is eventually broken down to ammonia that is absorbed across the rumen wall into the blood stream, ultimately excreted as waste urea nitrogen in urine. While this is partially correct, most of the RDP is used to support microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. This microbial protein flows into the small intestine as the other
A peptide advantage
D
The RDP in alfalfa has been shown to be a rich source of peptides, derived primarily from a photosynthetic enzyme, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco). Peptides have been shown to stimulate microbial protein synthesis, in vitro. The benefit of this was recently demonstrated by researchers at the Miner Institute in New York, where high-producing dairy cows were fed diets that were similar in nutrient content but contained five different ratios of alfalfa hay to corn silage in the forage portion that constituted 62% of the diet dry matter (DM). Resulting milk protein production was maximized somewhere between a 30:70 to 50:50 ratio (DM basis) of alfalfa to corn silage in the forage portion of the diet. Presumably, this optimal ratio range resulted from improved ruminal microbial growth and protein synthetic activity from alfalfa being present in the diet at these levels, supporting the value of alfalfa RDP in the rumen. The other interesting takeaway from this study was that DM intake and milk production were unaffected across a wide range of alfalfa hay to corn silage ratios, even as high as the 90% alfalfa forage treatment, dispelling the myth that lactating cows cannot perform well on high alfalfa forage programs. We know much about the largest of
alfalfa’s nutrient components, NDF, and its digestibility (NDFD). Taken together and expressed as ruminal undigested NDF (RuNDF), it can have a profound impact on optimizing rumen fill while improving intake and ruminal digestion of the entire diet. For a particular forage, the amount of RuNDF is calculated by multiplying the undigested NDF (100% - NDFD, expressed on an NDF basis) by the NDF content of the forage. The sum of the RuNDF amounts from each of the forages in the diet represents an approximation of rumen fill.
Multiple carb sources As a forage, alfalfa is well suited in this respect since its RuNDF content is relatively moderate compared to most other forages because of its lower NDF content and its high rate of NDFD. Recent genetic modification of the lignin content in HarvXtra-traited alfalfa varieties has allowed greater flexibility in fine-tuning the NDFD advantage. Furthermore, while high-quality alfalfa can have an NDF content similar to corn silage, it contains much less starch (usually only 3%) than corn silage, which makes alfalfa less prone to contribute to subacute ruminal acidosis. Instead of starch, alfalfa contains pectin (considered by many as “soluble fiber”) and water-soluble carbohydrates. Taken together, these two “nonfiber carbohydrates” constitute around 28% of the alfalfa plant’s DM, but we know
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relatively little about their potential nutritional benefits other than being a source of energy for the animal. Pectin is rapidly degraded by rumen microbes producing acetate and propionate, but not lactate like rapidly fermented starch. It can be assumed that the WSC fraction also has a high rate of ruminal digestion. Therefore, the criticism that alfalfa lacks a rapidly, ruminal digestible carbohydrate fraction like that found in corn silage may be unfounded since the rapidly digestible carbohydrates (pectin + water-soluble carbohydrate + starch) amount can rival the starch content of an average corn silage. One thing we do know about pectin, however, is that it has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC). This, along with much of the mineral cations in the ash of alfalfa, gives alfalfa a high CEC. This high CEC is linked to alfalfa’s contribution to the diet’s greater buffering capacity, which promotes greater milkfat synthesis by the cow.
4. Alfalfa possesses one of the highest CEC values of any forage. This enhances the diet’s buffering capacity, which can promote greater milk fat synthesis by the cow. Most computer software formulation programs do not account for all the benefits of alfalfa in ruminant diets. Nutritionists who don’t know this will allow their formulation programs to undervalue alfalfa and reduce the level in the diet. Other nutritionists who know the value of alfalfa in dairy diets will be sure to include a minimum of 20% of diet DM
(based on multiple studies) as alfalfa. If you didn’t think so before, hopefully now you will believe that alfalfa is truly amazing. •
DAVID C. WEAKLEY The author is the director of forage nutrition research at Forage Genetics International.
A nutritional powerhouse While there are many factors contributing to alfalfa’s nutritional value in diets, it’s apparent that NDF, NDFD, RUP, RDP, and ash are important nutrient components contributing to its feeding value for ruminants. The content of NDF, and its digestibility, can have a major impact on intake, digestibility, and feed efficiency through their contribution to the RuNDF content of the diet. The amount of RUP and RDP will contribute to the metabolizable protein content of the diet both directly and indirectly through supporting ruminal microbial protein synthesis. Knowing the proportions of RUP and RDP in the CP of alfalfa could help optimize the correct dietary balance to maximize the metabolizable protein supply to the ruminant at the greatest efficiency of CP use. Furthermore, contrary to popular misconceptions, we are beginning to better understand that: 1. Average to high-quality alfalfa does not depress DM intake or milk production and can be used at high levels in the forage programs of high-producing lactating dairy diets. 2. The RDP fraction of alfalfa is high in peptides that can stimulate milk protein production, apparently by stimulating microbial protein synthesis, and is not useless to the animal. 3. Alfalfa contains a rapidly, ruminally digestible carbohydrate fraction that can rival the starch content of an average corn silage. November 2023 | hayandforage.com |13
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enhance soil fertility.
THE PASTURE WALK
by Jim Gerrish
Swath grazing can work
W
ITH the high cost of making or buying hay in recent years, I have been getting a lot of inquiries regarding swath grazing as an alternative to feeding baled hay. Swath grazing entails mowing the hay crop or pasture and leaving it in a windrow for grazing later in the winter. It is a proven cost-saving strategy that works well in some parts of the U.S. The first consideration for feasibility is your autumn rainfall pattern. If you have regular late summer or fall rains and lingering warm temperatures, swath grazing isn’t likely to work for you. A dry fall with early frosts is the best weather pattern for successful swath grazing. If a late cut of hay rots or molds in the windrow rather than curing, that is a clear indicator swath grazing will not work in your environment. Swath grazing still requires the forage be swathed and, in some cases, raked. What you save is the cost of baling, stacking the hay, and then hauling it back out for feeding. That usually amounts to $30 to $50 per ton of forage fed. If you don’t need to rake a couple of windrows together to make a larger windrow, there can be additional cost savings.
Many options available Almost any forage crop can be swathed to preserve forage quality deeper into winter and allow better grazing access in deep snow environments. When we have swath grazed alfalfa, we leave the last crop standing until the first killing frosts occur. The frosts put alfalfa into dormancy and then we get the crop swathed before significant leaf loss occurs. In our central Idaho environment, we can sometimes get snowfall on the swaths shortly after swathing, which helps preserve forage quality even better than an open winter provides. We have some clients who swath their grassy meadows. These are typically either flood irrigated or naturally sub-irrigated. All growth has usually occurred by the end of July or early August, so they swath in midsummer to better preserve feed quality. Initially, many ranchers are concerned about the swaths smothering the grass underneath them. However, in a dry climate, the grass has gone dormant as soon as available water
has been depleted. The dormant grasses are not subject to smothering. Annual crops are another popular forage for swath grazing. Annual crops are often much higher yielding than are perennials like alfalfa or meadow grasses. Cool-season mixtures like triticale-barley-oats-vetch-winter peas can create huge swaths of high-quality forage. We have harvested 290 animal unit days (AUD) per acre or almost 4 tons per acre of dry matter from a barley-oats-winter pea mixture. Annual mixtures featuring a high percentage of brassicas like turnips or kale do not swath as well as grasses and legumes due to their high initial moisture content. Summer annuals can also be swathed to provide winter feed. Everything from corn to crabgrass can be swathed. I have not personally done the warm-season annuals but have heard reports of 300 to 400 AUD per acre swath grazed as sorghum-sudangrass and vetch or other annual legumes. Warm-season swaths can be a low-cost method for overwintering pregnant cows or even yearlings.
Move daily To get the most from your investment in seeding and swathing, all swath grazing should be done with time-controlled grazing. When we were grazing alfalfa swaths on the ranch in Idaho several years ago, I would move the fence every day when I was at home. If I had to travel away, I would leave the fields set up for three-day grazes so my wife wouldn’t have to move fence every day. When I returned home, the additional bedding waste in the swaths was
visible and the cows were noticeably less content compared to when they were on daily moves. I found I had to allocate four days’ worth of swaths to keep the cows at the same level of rumen fill and contentment for a three-day stay as three single-day strips provided when I was at home. In other words, grazing with daily moves provided about 33% more grazing days over the dormant season compared to moving every three days. Set stocking on swaths provides only about 50% of the AUD per acre that controlled grazing does. Growing the crop and swathing costs the same, so lax grazing costs roughly almost twice as much per day as what controlled grazing can provide. We were running about 300 cows that winter on swaths. It took me about an hour to get out to the pasture and move the electric fence each day. If I paid myself $30 per hour to go out and move the fence, the added cost for strip grazing the swathed forage was 10 cents per cow per day. Considering at that time hay feeding cost more than $1 more per cow per day, strip grazing was a low-cost tool for stretching the winter feed supply. • JIM GERRISH The author is a rancher, author, speaker, and consultant with over 40 years of experience in grazing management research, outreach, and practice. He has lived and grazed livestock in hot, humid Missouri and cold, dry Idaho.
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BEEF FEEDBUNK
by Ashley Wright
Is my pasture the problem?
I
N AN ideal world, pastures would always be green with plenty of forage, cattle would never get sick or eat something they weren’t supposed to, and if we’re dreaming big, toxic weeds wouldn’t even exist. Cattle certainly wouldn’t be found dead with no explanation. Unfortunately, we live in the real world, and livestock sickness and death loss does occur. In some cases, the cause of the problem is apparent. There is an obvious injury or the vet can perform a quick test and confirm the cause of death. In most cases, however, the cause of a sudden illness or significant death loss in a herd is elusive; it can be a perfect storm of multiple factors that may never be explained. As an extension agent, I’m occasionally called to work alongside veterinarians to determine the probable causes of these mysterious deaths. Often, the pasture or something in it turns out to be the culprit and the death is usually precipitated by one or more management decisions. It’s a bit like playing detective and gathering clues until you have enough evidence to point to a likely suspect that can hopefully be confirmed by veterinary testing.
Ask questions The first step in the investigation is to gather information about the cattle and their management. What are the signs of illness? Which cattle — old cows, calves, or all of them — are affected? Gather information on vaccination records, the herd health plan, and testing protocols for diseases like bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). If the signs of illness match a common disease not covered by the vaccination plan, that might be your answer. If not, the problem could lie in the pasture. Assuming we didn’t find any obvious concerns in our cattle management, the next step is to examine the feed, forages, and water sources the cattle are consuming and using. What are the cattle eating? If they’re being fed hay, where was it sourced? Are other animals eating it? Are cattle grazing a pasture? If so, how long have they been there and when will they move? The answers to these questions
can point you in the right direction. Take note if other cattle are eating the same feed or using the same water. Are these animals also affected? Is there a known water quality issue, such as extremely high sulfur? Inspect hay and walk the pasture, looking closely for toxic plants. Is there evidence of grazing on those plants? Most toxic plants are unpalatable, so look at the overall condition of the pasture. Is it overgrazed, potentially driving animals to look for alternate
Investigating pasture conditions and animal behavior can help solve sudden cases of illness or death in grazing livestock.
food sources? Examine hay and other feedstuffs for signs of mold or spoilage as well. Recall what the weather was like the previous few days or week. A sudden frost or conditions that encourage rapid plant growth could cause certain forages to accumulate nitrates or become magnesium deficient. Do the signs displayed by the cattle match up with any of the toxic plants or environmental conditions?
Identify and prevent the issue Gather samples of anything suspicious in feed, forage, or water and submit them to a laboratory to confirm the presence of toxins or other problems. And don’t forget to check for things that shouldn’t be present in a pasture. If you have an old homestead, there could be dangers such as lead paint. If you have a nearby roadway, be sure neighbors haven’t thrown out yard trimmings
that contain toxic landscaping plants or other materials. The final step is to work with your veterinarian to take samples from affected animals. This may include intraocular fluid to check for nitrate toxicity or rumen contents that show signs of toxic plants. Your vet may recommend a full necropsy on one or more animals. Hopefully, the information you’ve gathered in your investigation in addition to these samples can confirm the cause of death and allow you to take steps to resolve it. Most of the cases I’ve been called to help identify end up being caused by a toxic plant or item in the pasture. There are several key management concerns I’ve noted that seem to give rise to these issues. While we won’t be able to prevent all illness or death loss in a cattle herd, avoid these scenarios wherever possible: 1. Animals with poor body condition score. These cattle often begin sampling forages they otherwise wouldn’t consider. This usually goes hand in hand with poor pasture or range conditions. 2. Cattle that are not being rotated to new pastures in a timely fashion. Similar to the point above, as palatable forages become sparse in overgrazed pastures, cattle begin to eat other plants available to them. 3. Removing hay or other feedstuffs from cattle too soon after pastures green up. This can be especially problematic after a drought. The first plants to green up might not be what you want cattle consuming. 4. Introducing cattle to a new landscape. This is often a problem in Western rangelands. Cattle brought from other pastures may not recognize which plants are toxic and end up consuming the wrong species. •
ASHLEY WRIGHT The author is a livestock area associate agent with the University of Arizona based in Cochise County.
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YOUR CHECKOFF DOLLARS AT WORK
Alfalfa benefits dairy crop rotations Hay & Forage Grower is featuring results of research projects funded through the Alfalfa Checkoff, officially named the U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative, administered by National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA). The checkoff program facilitates farmer-funded research.
R
ECENT research on alfalfa’s impacts on dairy cropping systems found first- and second-year alfalfa stands accumulated more carbon than older stands. Younger alfalfa pulled carbon from the atmosphere and stored it in soil and roots while third- and fourth-year stands released carbon into the environment, said Alison Duff, dairy forage research ecologist with the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC). “That’s probably because, as alfalfa stands age, they’re producing less biomass,” said Duff, adding that the research fields’ intensive, four-cut harvest schedule likely contributed ALISON DUFF to stand deterioraHEATHCLIFFE RIDAY tion. She suggested Funding: $60,000 utilizing practices to improve stand longevity, whether through selecting varieties that allow for fewer cuttings but are still productive and/or highly digestible, or taking steps to reduce compaction and impacts to growing plants at harvest. “The fewer times you cut will improve resilience of the stand; cutting more frequently will drive stand decline,” added Heathcliffe Riday, USDFRC research leader. The Alfalfa Checkoff-funded research compared cropland emissions, carbon sequestration, and soil health in alfalfa and corn silage, a common rotation on dairies. It was inspired by farmers’ concerns over extreme weather and warming trends associated with climate change and their interest in carbon sequestration and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, according to Duff and Riday. Three alfalfa and three corn fields at
the USDFRC farm in Prairie du Sac, Wis., were measured for in situ soil respiration and soils were sampled for chemical, physical, and biological analysis. Meteorological and carbon flux measurements were gathered through a 30-meter eddy covariance tower on the farm. The carbon balance assessment of corn silage showed it also stored some carbon, probably because it produced a high biomass during the growing season, was harvested only once, and rotated with alfalfa.
Minimize soil loss The study showed few differences in soil condition between alfalfa and corn silage fields grown in rotation. “We may have found greater differences if we had compared continuous corn silage fields and alfalfa fields,” Duff said. “We found instead that the landscape position of the sampling
point was predictive of, for example, soil organic carbon or active carbon in the soil. If your sampling point is on a hilltop with more erosion, you probably have less soil organic matter because of its position. In contrast, if you’re sampling at the bottom of a hill or where you’ve had soil deposition from erosion, there’s probably a lot more soil organic matter in that soil,” Duff asserted. That illustrates the importance of using farming practices that help preserve soil. “Alfalfa is a part of that solution — finding continuous living cover crops that protect, particularly in fall and spring when more soil is exposed after harvest and before spring growth,” she said. “There were some key differences in the soil biological community,” Duff added. “We don’t have those data fully analyzed, but we found more diversity in the (fungal and bacterial)
Researchers recorded soil respiration on alfalfa and corn ground to measure carbon balance and impacts of alfalfa within a dairy crop rotation.
PROJECT RESULTS One- and two-year alfalfa stands were a net carbon sink; alfalfa stands greater than two years old lost carbon. Corn silage fields in 2019 were a net carbon sink due to significant biomass accumulation, one harvest, and rotation with alfalfa. Soil health metrics didn’t differ between the crops, likely because they were grown in rotation with each other. Landscape position did show differences. As alfalfa stands advanced in age, bacterial and fungal diversity improved.
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biological community in alfalfa fields, particularly in their second and third growing season.” That shows biological changes build over multiple years of alfalfa growth. Corn silage fields had a less diverse biological community with reduced functional diversity. A statistical analysis will be completed yet this year. This research contributes to ongoing
modeling efforts like the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) Model. “These types of studies, particularly about landscapes or rotations that we have less information on, help so we can then model whole farming systems to see which are the most sustainable rotations,” Riday said. The Alfalfa Checkoff funding, he stressed, is very much needed. “Checkoff
money really does drive alfalfa-centric or alfalfa-based research. There’s been a lot more focus on alfalfa and alfalfa research,” Riday said. Duff, whose work involves understanding carbon balance and ecosystem services dairy forage systems can provide, welcomes farmer comments or questions. Her email address is alison. duff@usda.gov. •
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All photos: Mike Rankin
Zimba Dairy grazes over 1,600 cows on 700 acres of irrigated pasture in Michigan’s Thumb region.
ALL GRASS, ALL THE TIME by MIke Rankin
O
PERATING any dairy farm isn’t easy, but milking over 1,600 cows brings farm and employee oversight to an even greater level. Next, let’s make it an organic farm in the Upper Midwest and only feed high-quality forage crops — no grain. Raise your hand if you’d like to volunteer. It’s likely that not too many hands are up, but Ed Zimba wouldn’t make his living milking cows any other way. He and his wife, Melanie, own and operate Zimba Dairy in Michigan’s Thumb Region. The 60-year-old Zimba is passionate about the health of his soils, his cows, and the greater human population. Zimba’s father was an autoworker in Detroit who eventually saved enough to purchase a farm and was wise enough to grow it along with his family of seven children. The farm would eventually be split between the three sons, and
Zimba bought out his brothers’ portions of the 150-cow dairy herd in 1990. He converted the farm and cows to organic production immediately, moving the herd from confinement-based housing to a rotational grazing-based system. More recently, he converted to all grass-fed, selling his milk to Horizon Organic.
Grown from within The Zimba herd has primarily grown internally from those early days. According to the farm’s long-time veterinarian, Mark Fox, this has helped curtail some of the disease problems that many expanding herds have when they purchase and add large numbers of replacements. “The organically raised and cared for cow doesn’t realize that she’s organic,” Fox noted. “We don’t use many organic treatments anymore, but rather try to focus almost entirely on prevention and excellent husbandry. It takes a great team of dedicated employees to pull this off, which Ed has,” he added.
“We live and learn like everyone else,” Zimba said. “But I’d never go back to farming with chemicals, although I’ve got nothing against my neighbors, including my brothers, who do. I just believe this is how we should farm.” If you get the idea that Zimba is willing to share his opinions — you’re right; however, you can’t argue about the success of what he’s been able to accomplish during the past 30-plus years. Zimba now farms about 4,000 acres. In addition to the milking herd, he also cares for about 1,900 head of youngstock and has a cow-calf beef enterprise totaling 200 head of brood cows. The dairy herd is milked on two separate farms, each with its own parlor.
Forage quality is Job 1 Zimba grows 1,800 acres of an alfalfa-grass mixture and 1,500 acres of male-sterile corn along with 700 acres of dedicated pasture, much of which is irrigated. Triticale or winter
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rye is grown following corn silage harvest and his new alfalfa-grass seedings are no-tilled into the winter annuals during early spring when the soil is dry enough. “We’ve had really good success doing it this way,” Zimba said. “We take the triticale off in the boot stage to give the new seeding a chance to develop. This year’s triticale had a TDN of about 65%.” The alfalfa-grass mixtures are cut five to six times per year to maximize forage quality. “When all that you feed is forage, the energy levels have to be high to get milk out of cows,” Zimba explained. The farm relies heavily on grass species such as Italian ryegrass, festulolium, and soft-leaf tall fescue to mix with the alfalfa. This year, the farm’s first-cut haylage came off the field with a relative forage quality (RFQ) of 225 to 235. Harvested forage is chopped and stored in bunker silos. Around the two dairies, a person can see nothing but well-maintained cow lanes and pastures broken into paddocks, which are further divided by polywire as needed. Pastures are assessed annually for productivity and, if deficient, are interseeded in the spring with red clover, ryegrasses, and tall fescue. Growing organic crops means that many conventional fertilizer options aren’t able to be used, but that doesn’t mean soil fertility is any less important. “We test all of our fields for both nutrient status and soil health,” Zimba noted. “We can use potassium sulfate, gypsum, and boron for alfalfa. Manure is also spread routinely. For fields farther away where hauling liquid manure is prohibitive, we’ll purchase chicken litter.” A recent addition to the Zimba’s farm has been the construction of a covered compost barn. A used commercial compost turner was purchased to expediate the composting process. “We’re still learning what techniques will work best, but the drier material is easier to handle and can be hauled longer distances.”
Healthy, happy cows Optimizing milk production is important to the second-generation farmer. He’s tried several breeds of dairy cows and crossbreds over the years but has settled on Holsteins. “The higher price we get on our grass-fed milk makes it more feasible to push for volume,”
Zimba said. “We also milk three times per day and bring the cows to the barn when the weather is too hot. We’ve always got cows on the move somewhere. Each time they go back out, they’re given new grass. We graze from early May until deer hunting season, and during the winter, the cows are fed a totally mixed forage ration in the barn,” he added.
which is sometimes an issue on organic herds, has not been a problem. “Somatic cell count (SCC) numbers throughout the year are impressive for a dairy that uses no antibiotics,” he said. “The freestalls are bedded with virgin sand, and cows have access to pasture when the weather allows. This gets them off the concrete, which helps from a space and the rest standpoint.”
With an all-forage diet, Ed Zimba (foreground) puts a high priority on forage quality. The dairyman uses grasses such Italian ryegrass, festulolium, and tall fescue in his alfalfa stands. The forage is stored in bunker silos and included in a total mixed ration.
Even with attention to details, feeding an all-forage diet isn’t for the weak of heart. Weather challenges in getting a high-quality crop in storage are amplified. Cow care is also put to the test. “I was quite skeptical when Ed transitioned over to a grass-fed diet,” said veterinarian Fox. “My greatest worry was that fresh cows would be under more risk for ketosis and subsequent reproduction challenges, but this turned out not to be the case. Obviously, start up and peak milk production is substantially lower than with a conventional TMR confinement herd, but metabolic diseases in fresh cows are virtually nonexistent and reproduction efficiency never dropped off.” Commenting further on Zimba’s dairy herd, Fox noted that milk quality,
A large compost barn has been a recent addition at Zimba Dairy. The drier compost is easier to handle and haul, Zimba noted as reasons for the new construction.
Zimba Dairy is nonconventional in many ways, but it is conventional in many others. There is a heavy focus on forage quality, cows are intensively grazed, cows are sometimes confined, TMRs are mixed, crop yields are optimized, soil health and fertility are prioritized, mistakes are sometimes made, and employees are treated with respect and are well trained. All of these characteristics amount to a big “thumbs up” in Michigan’s Thumb. • November 2023 | hayandforage.com |19
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Mike Rankin
FORAGE SEED SUPPLIES ARE MOSTLY ADEQUATE by Dan Foor
B
Y AND large, forage seed supply for spring plantings looks to be in good shape to support what is expected to be higher demand for new seedings. After a challenging production year, especially in the Midwest due to a late spring and persistent drought, alfalfa fields and forage pasture conditions are considered generally poorer than average. Alfalfa will again have good availability across the spectrum of fall dormancies and trait packages, and seed prices are expected to be stable to slightly higher. Red clover and white clover are two legume species to watch as the 2023 crop was challenged in the primary North American production areas and white clover stocks are low globally. Forage sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid seed production also saw challenges, and it is expected that supplies will be lower than average. Similar to the format shared in previous outlooks, the table below outlines the supply picture for most popular forage species. Common (C) and improved (I) supplies are noted in parenthesis, and maturities are separated if there are differences in the outlook for the
species. If there is no designation, the supply rating applies to both common and improved options as well as maturities for the species. The “extremely tight” designation indicates that the species will likely sell out at some point in the season. As always, please check with your local supplier for specific variety availability. •
DAN FOOR The author is the senior vice president of distribution for DLF North America.
Average supply
Tight supply
Extremely tight supply
Alfalfa
Bromegrass, Meadow
Clover, Ladino (C)
Annual Ryegrass
Bromegrass, Smooth
Clover, Ladino (I)
Bermudagrass
Clover, Alsike
Clover, Red (I)
Festulolium
Clover, Berseem
Clover, White
Millets, Hay
Clover, Red (C)
Forage Sorghum
Orchardgrass, Early (C)
Clover, Yellow Blossom
Millets, Pearl
Orchardgrass, Early (I)
Meadow Fescue
Peas, Forage
Orchardgrass, Mid
Perennial Ryegrass, Diploid
Reed Canarygrass
Orchardgrass, Late
Timothy (I)
Sorghum-sudangrass
Perennial Ryegrass, Tetraploid
Sudangrass
Ryegrass, Italian
Trefoil
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue, Novel Endophyte Teffgrass Timothy (C)
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FEED ANALYSIS
by John Goeser
Be a keeper of leaves This brings us back to the point made earlier — fiber is tied into every forage quality measure, including leaf-tostem ratio. However, the value of a leaf percentage measure is likely beyond a nutritional interpretation.
tions outside of nutrition and discussed the impact leaf percentage has on the plant-animal interface within pastures. Grazing ruminants actively select and sort for leaves; hence, higher leaf percentages in the paddock equate to greater gains or performance. Leaf percentage insight can also help producers manage paddocks to find agronomic practices that yield higher leaf percentages. Beyond grazing, leaf retention during harvest is imperative to maintaining quality from the field to storage. Whether dry hay or for silage, leaf shatter and loss is a substantial detractor from forage quality and value.
Goes beyond nutrition Leaf-to-stem ratio, or leaf percentage, has been introduced in the past decade as a forage quality index. Today’s commercial feed analysis laboratories offer this measure through a partner. The utility around the measure has been interesting, with the University of Wisconsin’s Dan Undersander helping generate a bit of discussion or inter-
An informative measure
Mike Rankin
W
HEN teaching others to review and interpret forage analyses, the first number that I tend to focus on is fiber content. In dairy or beef nutrition, our world often centers around fiber. We’ve covered fiber extensively over the past several years and will continue to do so in the future. In my opinion, this structural carbohydrate is the single most important nutrient in forage. Fiber affects dairy and beef cattle in different ways. Fiber in the ration partly determines how much feed the cattle can consume, impacts rumen health, and also affects diet energy density. Expanding on the energy impact, it’s fascinating to consider that fiber, starch, and sugar each contain the same calorie potential per pound. The key word in this sentence is potential. With fiber, the potential is never realized compared with grains because only half of the fiber calories are unlocked by dairy or beef cattle due to complex lignification. Further, the range in calories available from fiber is immense relative to all other forage components. Hence, fiber has been tied into every single forage quality index including leaf-to-stem ratio. This will make sense as we describe what comprises leaves and stems. As alfalfa and grass plants emerge and grow, the leaves absorb and convert the sunlight’s energy. This energy is harnessed through chlorophyll attached to protein and used to build sugars from carbon dioxide that’s been absorbed from the air. Leaves are the power plant for the growing alfalfa or grass. Chlorophyll is linked to protein and the photosynthetic process yields sugar. The sugar is the fuel that then drives growth or storage in plant reserves. The stems provide the structure for the plants, holding up the leaves. As mentioned before, fiber is a structural carbohydrate and a critical component of the stem structure. Think of fiber like the framing and the foundation within the house, binding the structure together. This science lesson is relevant because leaves are rich in protein and sugar and the stems are full of fiber.
Checking your leaf percentage or leaf-to-stem ratio can be informative.
est in this commercial feed analysis measure. Beyond popular press and conference proceedings, there is also a bit of published literature to reference for added insight and context. The published literature archives contain a few articles discussing near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration for leaf percentage or leafto-stem ratio. The earliest published study I could find dates back to 1988. As described above, I often view forage analysis through a nutritionist lens. When I field questions about interpreting leaf-to-stem ratio or the leaf percentage, I’ve often responded that simple protein and fiber measures are just as valuable in determining forage nutritive quality. Higher protein feed will contain a greater leaf-to-stem ratio, whereas higher fiber alfalfa will be more stemmy. However, this 1988 article opened my mind to analysis applica-
Undersander has stressed the leaf percentage measure to assess impact associated with different agronomic amendments or harvest management strategies. In general, more leaves are desirable and the leaf-to-stem ratio measure is informative to assess leaf losses from substandard fertility, disease or insect pressure, or harvest management issues. In the early 2000s, another study was published evaluating NIRS potential for measuring leaf concentration and mineral or ash content. This study again spoke to applications beyond nutrition such as biofuel generation or alfalfa pelleting quality, but more importantly, it agreed with the 1988 reference in that commercial NIRS analysis is fully capable of measuring the leaf percentage. While traditional forage quality measures like protein or fiber continue to be valuable for diet formulation and feeding, checking your forage leaf percentage or leaf-to-stem ratio can prove informative for agronomic, grazing, or harvest management practices. •
JOHN GOESER The author is the director of nutrition research and innovation with Rock River Lab Inc., and adjunct assistant professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Dairy Science Department.
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ducers may want to consider. Its low seeding rate of 5 to 8 pounds per acre, combined with a moderate seed price of $3 to $4 per pound, makes the total seed cost per acre manageable.
A low-input alternative
All photos Don Miller
Teff grass offers cropping and feeding benefits by Don Miller
T
EFF grass is not as well known in the U.S. as other forage grasses. This is mainly because its distribution around the world was based initially on its use as a grain for human consumption. Only in recent years has it gained popularity as a forage resource. It was after its initial introduction into the U.S. from Africa that researchers determined that teff also had potential as a forage grass. As a result, plant breeders in the last 20 years have released new teff varieties that have been specifically selected for forage production. Since those releases, teff has gained popularity among forage producers as a high-yielding and high-quality forage grass. The grass has also proven to offer numerous cropping options and production advantages.
A versatile option Teff is an excellent emergency crop choice when adverse weather delays planting of grain crops beyond optimal planting dates. Teff can also be planted to provide supplemental forage in years where extreme winterkill has caused stand losses to perennial forages such
as alfalfa. As a fast-growing, warm-season annual, teff can provide, under optimal growing conditions, 1 to 2 tons per acre of forage in 45 to 50 days. Teff can provide summer forage to offset the lack of forage production of cool-season perennial grasses during their typical “summer slump” period. It can be planted from late spring to midsummer, making it an excellent double-crop choice following cereal grain crops such as wheat. To avoid autotoxicity, alfalfa fields must be rotated out of alfalfa for at least one year following stand termination. Planting teff allows forage growers to produce a high-quality and high-yielding forage during the year they are rotating out of alfalfa. During drought or restricted-water years, full-season irrigation may not be possible. In those situations, teff’s fast germination and vigorous growth facilitates the production of a forage crop where limited water is available. Generally, producers can expect reasonable forage production as long as there is adequate soil moisture at planting for germination and establishment. In addition to the multiple cropping options, teff can also provide numerous production advantages that forage pro-
Teff is adapted to multiple environments, ranging from drought-stressed to waterlogged soil conditions across numerous soil types. It is classified as a C4 plant, making it especially productive in hot, dry climates. In general, teff can be grown in any area that is currently growing corn or sorghum. Considered a low-input crop, teff grass plantings following legumes or sod may not require any additional nitrogen fertilization for the first cutting. Seasonal nitrogen needs are relatively meager, generally in the range of 50 to 80 pounds per acre. In multiple cut locations, split applications of 30 to 50 pounds following each cutting can enhance overall yield. Moderate amounts of phosphorus and, in some cases, sulfur may be required. As a warm-season annual, teff is well suited to provide supplemental forage during the summer months when other forages have underperformed or failed due to winterkill. Also, teff can provide additional quality forage during the “summer slump” period of cool season
Teff grass is extremely palatable and gaining popularity as a dairy feed.
grasses. During drought-stress periods, teff has been reported to stay greener longer than other forages. Teff requires approximately 50% to 70% as much water as alfalfa to produce an economic crop. When forage is needed in a short amount of time, teff is an excellent option. If planting occurs when soil temperatures are at least 65°F and warming, and there is adequate soil moisture, the first-cutting can be made in 45 to 50 days. Depending on the location and length of the growing season, teff can provide multiple harvests. Following the first cutting,
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Forage quality analysis: timothy versus teff grass Average Quality analysis
Timothy hay
Teff hay
% crude protein
8 to 14
9 to 14
Acid detergent fiber (ADF)
32 to 36
32 to 38
Neutral detergent fiber (NDF)
53 to 59
53 to 65
Total digestible nutrients (TDN)
57 to 65
55 to 64
established teff can be cut approximately every 30 to 35 days until frost. Teff is best suited for haying operations; however established fields can be grazed by cattle, horses, sheep, and other livestock.
A premier horse forage After teff was first introduced as a forage grass in the U.S., the initial market was targeted for horses. This was in part due to teff’s close comparison nutritionally to timothy, which is considered by many people to be the premier grass for horse hay (see Table 1). Teff, due to its high forage quality and exceptional palatability, is considered
by some producers as the warm-season crop equivalent to timothy. However, timothy is a cool-season grass and therefore limited in its production area. Teff’s advantage over timothy is that it can be grown in warmer climates while still achieving high forage quality. Teff is also considered to be relatively low in nonstructural carbohydrates, which is a characteristic sought out by many horse owners when purchasing hay. In recent years, teff has also caught the attention of dairy nutritionists who want to add more grass into the dairy ration. Teff is known to have exceptional palatability and high animal acceptance, making it desirable in a dairy ration.
This, combined with its high summer yield and high forage quality, has given teff a foothold in the dairy market, and it is gaining traction. It is also being utilized by other livestock species, including beef cattle, sheep, and goats. Prussic acid or nitrate toxicity in teff forage has not been observed in late-season grazing or after a frost. Many factors go into the decision of what crop best fits a forage producer’s operation. Producers may want to seriously consider teff’s desirable agronomic and nutritional benefits as a component of the overall forage enterprise. The marketability of teff grass continues to expand. •
DON MILLER The author is a forage consultant based in Idaho.
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November 2023 | hayandforage.com |23
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DAIRY FEEDBUNK
by Luiz Ferraretto
Hot topics in forage research
H
IGH-QUALITY forages are vital for dairy farm productivity and sustainability. This was evident in many presentations at the annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). The objective of this article is to describe and discuss some of the forage research; however, these are only a few of the many research trials presented and were hand-picked to represent different areas within forage research. Producing high-quality small grain forages: Small grain forages continue to rise in popularity in many parts of the United States. These crops have garnered interest for multiple reasons. Many farmers plant small grains primarily as cover crops for improving soil health while reducing erosion and nutrient losses. Conveniently, this also presents the opportunity to produce extra forage. For others, growing small grains is a necessary strategy to stretch forage inventories. But like other forages, the stage of maturity at harvest influences the nutritive value of small grains. A study conducted in three locations in Virginia assessed maturity at harvest of two barley, two rye, and four triticale varieties. Forages were either harvested at boot stage or at soft dough stage. Overall, concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), lignin, and starch were lower and ash and crude protein (CP) content was greater when forages were harvested earlier. This improvement in forage quality was at the expense of dry matter yields (Table 1). Another study conducted by the same group evaluated the effects of feeding triticale silage harvested at boot stage or soft dough stage to dairy cows. The difference between maturities was less pronounced than the study described above. Crude protein was 1.2 percentage units higher, whereas NDF was 2 percentage units lower when triticale was harvested at boot stage. Under these conditions, feeding triticale silage harvested at boot stage improved milk yield by 2.4 pounds per day. However, fat-corrected milk
New forage research reveals opportunities to diversify and improve dairy cattle nutrition.
yield and feed efficiency were similar between both treatments. Defining the ideal harvest maturity of small grains is not an easy task and will be determined by the unique challenges and needs of each dairy farm. Planning ahead in brainstorming sessions between dairy farmers, nutritionists, agronomists, and crop consultants to achieve adequate forage quality and ensure sufficient forage inventory is advised. Moisture concentration at ensiling is another key factor associated with forage quality, as it affects fermentation patterns and the ability of undesirable microorganisms to thrive in silage. Researchers from Delaware evaluated the efficacy of inoculating direct cut or wilted triticale silage with lactic acid producing bacteria. This type of inoculant speeds up the fermentation process, which reduces the chance of clostridial fermentation that is commonly observed in high-moisture forages. The direct cut triticale was about 74% moisture, whereas the wilted forage was ensiled at 66% moisture. Inoculating triticale silage boosted lactic acid concentration while reducing ammonia accumulation and preventing butyric acid production. Inoculation also curbed
enterobacteria counts, but this response was faster on wilted silage than direct cut silage. The most prevalent mycotoxins in corn silage: Continuing with the discussion about undesirable compounds in forages, mycotoxins could not be left out. Concerns about the presence of mycotoxins in silage intensify in years when environmental conditions during the forage growing season enable mold proliferation. The 2023 growing season is one example as some mycotoxins are more prevalent during hot, dry weather. A survey presented at the ADSA meeting collected 947 corn silage samples worldwide between September 2022 and February 2023. For full disclosure, this survey was conducted by a private company that commercializes products for mycotoxin detoxification. North America, which included the United States and Canada, accounted for 218 out of 947 samples. The most prevalent mycotoxin in these samples was deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin, with 74% prevalence and an average concentration of 2.5 parts per million (ppm) among positive samples. The presence of 1.5 ppm to 2.5 ppm DON was previously associated
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with reduced feed consumption and milk production by dairy cows. The second-most common mycotoxin found in corn silage was zearalenone, which had a 40% prevalence and an average concentration of 0.6 ppm in positive samples. Field observations associated zearalenone with lower milk production and reproductive issues as well as abortion in dairy cows. The maximum zearalenone concentration suggested for heifers and dairy cows is 10 ppm and 25 ppm, respectively. The implementation of proper harvesting and storage practices is advised to reduce mold proliferation and the risk of mycotoxin development, but keep in mind mycotoxins may occur even when good management practices are applied. Even though silage fermentation has been suggested to reduce the concentration of mycotoxins, recent research suggests this may not always be the case. The issues may even be exacerbated in storage over time.
Table 1. Yield and nutrient composition of barley, rye, and triticale forage varieties harvested at two different maturities1,2 Nutrients, % of DM
Boot
Soft dough
P-value
CP
12.3
6.6
0.01
aNDFom
50.5
60.7
0.01
Lignin
5.5
8.5
0.01
Starch
5.7
6.6
0.01
Ash
7.1
4.0
0.01
Yield, ton/acre
2.3
5.4
0.01
Adapted from Galyon et al. (2023); J. Dairy Sci. 106(Suppl 1):257. Boot stage defined as the head was within the sheath of the flag leaf. Soft dough stage defined as when no milky endosperm was evident when grains were pressed between fingers. 1 2
If the presence of mycotoxins is a concern based on visual spoilage present in the silo, sending samples to a lab for analysis is key. Most importantly, if corn silage has mycotoxins, take action to detoxify the silage by adding a mycotoxin-binding agent to the diet or adopting feeding strategies that dilute the amount of mycotoxins fed with noncontaminated feeds. •
LUIZ FERRARETTO The author is an assistant professor and ruminant nutrition extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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SINGING THE PRAISES OF BALEAGE by Amber Friedrichsen
O
N A Tuesday afternoon in the middle of August, Dan Funke zipped through a hayfield in a Krone Big M450 triple mower. He was taking the third cutting of a spring seeding of alfalfa alongside John Schruers, a full-time employee, who was driving another piece of the same machinery. The two men cut 150 acres of alfalfa in a little over an hour — a fast-paced farming activity that Funke almost forgot what it was like to be a part of. “This is fun for me,” he said. “I don’t usually get to run the mower.” Instead, Funke spends most of his time in the driver’s seat of a Krone 1290 high-density press 3x4 large square baler. The forage producer from Larchwood, Iowa, grows about 1,100 acres of alfalfa in the northwest corner
of the Hawkeye State, making baleage and delivering it to local dairies. Funke hasn’t always been in the baleage business, though. The first-generation farmer started out making dry hay. Although Funke didn’t grow up on a farm, he worked on one when he was in high school to put himself through college. The experience inspired him to have a career in agriculture, and he eventually bought a round baler and started doing custom work. Over time, he rented some farmland and began growing forage of his own, which evolved into his primary enterprise. Funke thought hay had more profit potential than row crops, but hitting target moisture levels before baling proved to be his biggest challenge. “I really focused heavily on trying to get my hay dry,” Funke said. “For seven or eight years, I tried to crimp the heck out of it, rake it, tedder it. At the end of
the day, I was only making dairy-quality feed about 20% of the time. You can’t win by doing that.” In hopes of breaking his so-called losing streak, Funke decided to try making baleage. He spoke to other adopters of the high-moisture forage and bought a square baler and an individual bale wrapper to put his idea into action. Today, Funke bales and wraps all of his alfalfa, and he and his customers are more than pleased with his consistently high forage quality.
Committed to cutting Funke aims to make baleage with 200 relative feed quality (RFQ) or higher, so harvest timing is his top priority. He has a “no flower policy” in his hayfields and takes five cuttings of alfalfa per year in most established stands. He makes note of cutting dates and keeps an eye on the calendar to harvest for-
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Dan Funke grows about 1,100 acres of alfalfa in northwest Iowa. All of the forage is made into baleage and mainly sold to local dairies.
with seeding sorghum-sudangrass hybrids after terminating alfalfa in the spring. He planted a photoperiod-sensitive hybrid of the warm-season annual in June 2023, as well as a quarter section of sorghum-sudangrass with the brachytic trait. He was disappointed by the extremely dry start to the growing season that limited plant growth and forage yield, but some late summer rains seemed to improve subsequent cuttings. That said, Funke is eager to try incorporating this species into his forage system again, especially since his dairy customers have shown an increasing interest in sorghum-sudangrass baleage as an excellent source of highly digestible fiber. “We are going to keep heading down the road to finding a forage program where we can grow high-energy grass crop,” he said. “We have our alfalfa program pretty solid, and I am happy with where that is at. The next thing to focus on will be summer annuals.”
Baler upgrades
All photos: Amber Friedrichsen
Funke took a break from driving the baler to cut alfalfa in a couple hayfields one afternoon in mid-August.
age every 23 to 24 days, rarely letting an interval last longer than 28 days. Alfalfa is typically no-till drilled in the spring into oats or cereal rye that were planted as a cover crops the previous fall. Stands usually last three years after the seeding year before Funke rotates the field with corn, soybeans, or annual warm-season forages. Then the cycle begins again.
Depending on when first cutting takes place, Funke makes fifth cutting from mid-September to mid-October. Some producers avoid harvest during this critical fall period to ensure forage has enough time to store energy in its roots before a killing freeze, but Funke is willing to risk overwintering issues if it means he can make more high-quality baleage. And even though older alfalfa stands are more vulnerable to winterkill, he isn’t afraid to be flexible with these fields. “If there is a harvestable crop that I think I can get close to 1 ton per acre, I take it,” Funke said. “If I have three good years out of an alfalfa stand and I take a cutting that beats it up, I will just plant something else in the spring. Second- and third-year hay is where it is at. After that, it’s often time to start over anyway.” Funke has started experimenting
Following harvest timing, Funke said proper baling and wrapping are the second-most important aspects of his operation. His first standard density square baler did not have a precutter, but he quickly learned this feature was essential to make baleage for dairy farmers who would be adding the high-moisture forage into mixed rations. Plus, precutting alfalfa seemed to make the bale wrapping process a smoother one. His next equipment upgrade was to a high-density baler, which he figured would help maximize his input costs. “I thought if I put the same dollars’ worth of plastic on each bale, no matter how much was in them, I could make fewer bales with a high-density baler and cut my plastic costs,” Funke said. “When I traded for a high-density baler with a precut system, it increased my dry matter per bale by 20%.” Funke’s most recent trade-in was for his Krone 1290 high-density press baler, which takes the benefits of a high-density baler to another level with nearly double the capacity of his previous model. Of course, this requires about two times the horsepower of his previous machine, but Funke makes even fewer bales that are packed even tighter — about 25 pounds per square foot. He believes this is key to be able to preserve bales at 20% to 50% moisture, and he aims for the lower end of that November 2023 | hayandforage.com |27
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Amber Friedrichsen
range, making a product on the dry end of the baleage spectrum that is also known as sweet hay. “Some people will tell you to wrap bales at 40% moisture or higher to get proper fermentation and to use an inoculant to make storable feed. I think if you can pack bales tight enough, none of that matters,” Funke said. “We are making better feed because we can stomp every last bit of oxygen out of the bales.” Funke has one stationary Goweil Q4020 bale wrapper and two McHale 998 bale wrappers that can be pulled around the field. These machines, as well as his mowers and four Oxbo mergers, are usually operated by Schruers and Funke’s staff of seasonal employees, which included Henry Wright, Joubert Greeff, and Andreas Lombard in the summer of 2023.
In 2023, Funke’s crew included, from left, Joubert Greeff, Henry Wright, Andreas Lombard, and himself. Not pictured was John Schruers, a full-time employee.
Help from H-2A hires While Wright is from the nearby town of Brandon, S.D., and works for Funke when he is home from college, Greeff and Lombard are from halfway around the globe. The two men came to the United States from South Africa through our nation’s H-2A program, which was created to help farmers secure seasonal labor by hiring foreign workers. Funke had to complete extensive paperwork before being accepted to the program, and once he was matched with Greeff and Lombard, they arrived at his farm on April 1. One requirement of the H-2A program is that seasonal employees must return to their home countries for a designated amount of time every year. Greeff and Lombard were hired to work full time through the summer and fall before going back to South Africa in early December. Despite a round-trip ticket that involves immense travel, it is quite feasible for South Africans to work in the United States during this time because the two nations have opposite growing seasons. When Greeff and Lombard were in Larchwood, it was winter back home. The two men initially faced a few learning curves driving mowers, mergers, and bale wrappers, but Funke said they caught on quickly. He added that they showed impeccable work ethic and are always eager to be in the field. “Having H-2A workers is the best thing, especially because these guys
come here and they want to work,” Funke said. “My biggest problem is when it’s raining and I tell them to go home, but they just want to keep working,” he chuckled. Funke used to employ more high school and college students to work for him in the summer, but their availability would end abruptly once classes resumed in August. Although he was always happy with those hires, the H-2A program better supports his employment needs. While he must provide foreign workers with housing and at least one vehicle to share, the H-2A program does not require employers to provide food for their employees; however, Funke often does anyway. In fact, each member of the crew shuts down their engines around noon to meet on the tailgate of their trucks or around a dining table in Funke’s shop to share a midday meal. “We have lunch together every day,” Funke said. “It’s good because we are always hungry by then, but also so we can sit down and talk about our plan for the rest of the afternoon.”
A personal investment In addition to making hay on his own acres, Funke does some custom forage harvesting. He and his crew harvest about 1,000 acres of forage per cutting between a few clients and then take on smaller tasks here and there. These jobs are not the bread and butter of
his farming business, but they have helped him justify investments in more advanced equipment. “I like to keep my baler fresh, so it gets traded once every three years,” Funke said. “And if I didn’t do custom work, I wouldn’t have those two very expensive machines,” he said pointing to the mowers. What kickstarted his farming career is now more of a source of diversified income, which is a testament to his progression from a first-generation farmhand to a high-quality forage producer. Funke has applied this experience off the farm as an active member of the Midwest Forage Association, serving as an at-large producer on the organization’s board of directors for 12 years. Being in this position has allowed him to make many connections with other producers across the country and taken him to the nation’s capital to speak with policymakers and advocate for the forage industry. Although his alfalfa stands out among all of the row crops in northwest Iowa, becoming a baleage maker has expanded Funke’s involvement and influence in the world of agriculture well beyond the hayfield. “Instead of starting at the 30-yard line, I started way back in my own end zone. But I don’t think I would have thrived, or even survived, in any other enterprise,” Funke said. “Forage production has allowed for that. This business is full of opportunities.” •
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SUNRISE ON SOIL
by Alan Franzluebbers
Soil carbon in the root zone
O
RGANIC matter is a key indicator of soil health and soil function, affecting the natural supply of nutrients, buffering against pH changes, softening soil to resist compaction, holding more water for plant uptake, creating water-stable aggregates to resist erosion, and providing organic resources to feed soil biological communities. Another big reason for attention on soil organic matter these days is the possibility of sequestering some of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere as organic matter in soil. Soil organic matter is mostly composed of carbon — 58% by weight on average. A reasonably fertile agricultural field will contain about 3% organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil. With a bulk density of 1.3 grams per cubic centimeter, this furrow slice of soil would contain 50 metric tons of CO2 equivalence per acre. To a depth of 12 inches, this fertile soil might reasonably hold 80 metric tons of CO2 per acre, since soil organic carbon concentration naturally declines with soil depth.
Many influential factors On a global scale, temperature and moisture have the largest influence on the amount of soil organic carbon. Lower mean annual temperature leads to less decomposition, resulting in accumulation of soil organic carbon over centuries. Greater mean annual precipitation allows for greater plant production, resulting in greater carbon input to soil. However, it is the balance of photosynthetic production and microbial decomposition that determines the net change in soil organic carbon. Other contributing factors affecting the balance of soil organic carbon are soil texture, depth of rooting, type of soil minerals, soil pH, soil microbial composition, plant species composition, and soil disturbance. Many of these factors influence either plant production potential or soil microbial activity, which are the two opposing yet necessary forces that transform plant and animal residues into soil organic matter. These are generaliz-
verage stock of soil organic carbon as separated into pedogenic contribution A (baseline) and land use/management contribution (root-zone enrichment) Land use
Total stock
Baseline stock
Root-zone enrichment
metric tons of CO2 equivalence per acre in 0- to 12-inch depth Conventional-till cropland
66 c
49 ab
16 d
No-till cropland
72 c
40 b
32 c
Grassland
96 b
52 a
44 b
Woodland
110 a
53 a
57 a
Sand covariate
***
***
NS
Values in a column sharing the same letter are statistically similar. *** Indicates statistical significance. NS is not significant.
able factors, but local conditions may alter the net influence of any one of these factors. Multiple agricultural research stations across North Carolina were recently sampled to assess how land use affects soil organic matter. A total of 310 fields were sampled on 25 research stations. Root-zone enrichment of soil organic carbon is a new calculation procedure that was used to separate the influence of recent management from that of historical soil formation (pedogenesis). The full scientific paper can be accessed at https://www.jswconline.org/ content/78/2/124.
Land decisions impact carbon Soil depth had the largest influence on soil organic matter and was followed by land use and physiographic region. Depth stratification was strongest in woodland and grassland management systems. In the surface 6 inches, soil organic matter was often lowest under conventional-till cropland (2.5%) because frequent tillage promotes greater decomposition. No-till cropland had slightly elevated soil organic matter (2.7%) due to less soil disturbance. Grassland had even greater soil organic matter (4.2%) because of permanent ground cover and roots that protected soil. With minimal traffic and lack of soil disturbance, woodland had the greatest soil organic matter (6.0%). However, soil organic nitrogen was greater under grassland than under woodland. The Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions had the lowest, and the
Blue Ridge and Flatwoods regions had the highest soil organic matter. With some reasonable assumptions, management-induced change in soil organic carbon could be separated from a baseline condition in each field. Baseline soil organic carbon can be attributed to pedogenesis, while rootzone enrichment of soil organic carbon can be attributed to the past half-century of land use and management. Conservation land use led to greater soil organic carbon accumulation. Coarse-textured soils tended to have lower carbon stocks than fine-textured soils, but this was pedogenic influenced only. This is indicated by the significant sand covariate in the baseline stock, which influenced the total stock. However, the influence of conservation management to enhance soil organic carbon was independent of soil texture. Land management has a large role to play in soil organic carbon storage, even in the southeastern U.S. where soils are inherently low in organic matter. Building soil organic matter requires us to start at the soil surface, and grasslands are a highly effective approach in this process. •
ALAN FRANZLUEBBERS The author is a soil scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Raleigh, N.C.
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FORAGE GEARHEAD
by Adam Verner
Center-pivot mowers are gaining in popularity among those with pull-type units.
Mike Rankin
Center-pivot mowers offer efficiencies
N
OW that hay season has wrapped up for a majority of the country, it is the time to take a look back at the past year’s production and evaluate what was done well and identify those areas where improvement is needed. Sometimes, it is difficult to look at our own operation with an unbiased viewpoint, but it needs to be done. Making hay often starts with mowing, and this is an area where efficiencies can often be gained. After all, who doesn’t want to spend less time on their mower? I’m not necessarily saying that a mower needs to be larger to be more efficient, but efficiencies can be gained with different types of mowers. For years, we basically only had two options when it came to mowers — the three-point hitch mower and side pulltype mower. Yes, we have had swathers around for a long time as well, but for this article, I would like to limit the discussion to pull-type mowers and break down the hitches available for these units.
Improved with years The most popular pull-type set up is still the right-side pull-type mower, but with each new year, we have been moving more and more customers into
center pivoting pull-type mowers. The right-side pull mowers have come a long way from the rope latch that you used to have to pull to move the mower from transport to field position. I’m sure some people driving by hayfields in the 1980s wondered why the farmer was driving around in tight circles in a newly mown field. Of course, we were just trying to get the mower to fold back into transport position! Now, you can simply use a hydraulic remote. The newer mowers also now come with swivel gearboxes on the hitch, so the power takeoff (PTO) is never in a bind. This is unlike the mowers with a curved hitch from the early 2000s where you could barely turn to the left when in transport. All in all, side-pull mowers are reliable and tend to be more cost effective when compared to the center-pivot units, but you spend a lot more time turning and must go back and cut your corners if you skip them on the first trip around.
which is in long, straight rows. This is how you become more efficient — the longer and straighter the rows are, the more efficient you become in the overall haying process. These rows also lead to a more consistent hay dry-down process since you start fluffing, raking, and baling all on the same side of the field and continue across the entire field. Center-pivot mowers really cut down on the amount of time spent turning around compared to the side-pull mowers. This is also amplified because the remaining operations will have less time turning around. The center-pivot mowers offer road transport benefits as well. You don’t have to purchase a wider mower to be more efficient. A center-pivot 10-foot mower can be used to cut almost two more acres per hour compared to a 10-foot side-pull type just because less time is spent turning. Plus, you achieve efficiency throughout the rest of the haying process. The primary downside to center-pivot mowers is simply the cost. The tongues are longer, and there’s a larger swing cylinder, two swivel gearboxes, and heavier frames. Both types of hitches work great and neither constitutes a wrong choice, but with the cost of fuel, fertilizer, and deprecation on equipment, it never hurts to look for efficiencies. The center-pivot mower deserves consideration, especially if you’re looking to upgrade or trade. Less time mowing translates to more time doing something else, fewer hours on the tractor, or maybe just spending more time with the family. So, if a new mower is in your farm’s future, give the center-pivot models a look. I know that once you try one, you will likely not go back to a side-pull mower. Have a great rest of the year. •
A change with wider widths Center-pivot mowers came about due to the offset needed for 13- and 16-foot cutting widths. With the wider width, the mowed forage needs to be outside the track width of the tractor. With the swivel gearboxes, it just seemed natural to mow hay the same way we row crop,
ADAM VERNER The author is a managing partner in Elite Ag LLC, Leesburg, Ga. He also is active in the family farm in Rutledge.
30 | Hay & Forage Grower | November 2023
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MACHINE SHED
Staheli West unveils the DewPoint 632
Over the past few years, Staheli West has been dedicated to developing an improved, cutting-edge DewPoint model for the large square bale market. Powered by the tractor’s electrical and hydraulic system, the new DewPoint 632 utilizes a diesel oil burner and boiler system, resulting in the production of high-quality steam. This steam is then channeled through hoses into custom manifolds mounted on the baler where it is injected into the dry crop material during baling. The DewPoint 632 boasts a new in-cab display that offers enhanced visibility. Featuring a new design, the interface includes a convenient steam on/off button, a large twist knob for easy steam adjustment, and steam ratio preset options tailored for different baling conditions. An entirely new operating system comes with the DewPoint 632, which streamlines functionality. The system now relies on the tractor hydraulic system to power the burner fan motor and feedwater pump, eliminating the need for generators and high-voltage components. The 12-volt electrical system of the tractor powers the
machine’s sensors and electrical components. With an expanded water capacity of 200 gallons, the DewPoint 632 offers approximately 20% longer run times compared to previous models. It features a state-of-the-art boiler design that optimizes heat exchange and enhances overall efficiency and heat transfer. The system includes a self-tuning burner for intelligent air-fuel ratio regulation, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and cleaner burns. Also, a consistent steam pressure is maintained. The DewPoint 632 introduces an innovative design that simplifies maintenance and servicing. Toolless access to regular maintenance components reduces downtime. With a higher chassis, the DewPoint 632 offers improved crop clearance, particularly beneficial when baling heavy windrows. To view a short video detailing the DewPoint 632’s release, point your camera to the accompanying QR code. For more information, visit StaheliWest.com.
Kubota introduces new M7 Series tractors
Kubota Tractor Corporation announced a new generation of the M7 Series. The series features the same horsepower (HP) segments as before, ranging from 128 to 168 engine HP, with three new models, the M7-134, M7-154, and M7-174. Customers can optimize the tractor for their specific needs with all models available in deluxe, premium, and premium KVT. The M7-4 Series models feature a new
LM2606 front loader that provides an increased lifting height of up to 167 inches and a lift capacity of 5,776 pounds at the bucket pivot pin. Included in all models is the multi-speed steering control with three settings. Standard features on the premium and premium KVT models are LED lights and electric heated side mirrors. Improved design of fuel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tanks allows the operator to work longer between refueling stops. An automatic HVAC system inside the cabin ensures a comfortable workspace and comes standard on the premium and premium KVT models. The fourth generation of M7 Series ag tractors began shipping to authorized Kubota dealers in August 2023. For more information, visit kubotausa.com.
Deere debuts 1 Series round baler John Deere’s new 1 Series round balers feature innovative Bale Doc technology to document bale moisture and weight. That data can then flow into the John Deere Operations Center for post-harvest analysis. After analysis, farmers can make informed decisions about nutrient management or use the data to get the best prices for their bales or reduce fertilizer costs. The 1 Series round balers reduce operator fatigue with integrated technology that automates gate cycle functions. Baler Automation opens and closes the gate and minimizes downtime. A new, standard 8-inch G5e display gives operators total visibility and control over baling operations. The 1 Series also features a new optional high-capacity pickup to help farmers finish baling quicker than previous models. The John Deere 1 Series round baler lineup includes the 451E, 451M, 451R, 461M, 461R, 551M, 561M, and 561R. The “E” model designates the baler is equipped with a regular pickup, the “M” denotes the baler is equipped with the MegaWide Plus pickup, and the “R” model indicates the round baler is equipped with the high-capacity pick up or the high-capacity and precutting feeding system. Net-Lift Assist, Net Lighting and a preservative system are options available for the 1 Series. With Net-Lift Assist, there is a 90% reduction in lifting effort as the connecting linkage attaches to the netwrap handles and the netwrap roll is moved into position. Net Lighting illuminates the netwrap and wrapping components. The preservative system for the 1 Series utilizes a tank, sensors, controller, and distribution system to ensure the right amount of preservative is applied to each bale. To learn more about John Deere 1 Series round balers, visit johndeere.com.
November 2023 | hayandforage.com | 31
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MACHINE SHED
New round baler series offered by Kuhn Kuhn North America recently introduced a new generation of round balers. The VB 3200 Series offers a wide range of variable chamber round balers to match the needs of any operation. Also available as a baler-wrapper combination, the VBP 3200 series is also now being marketed. OptiFeed, OptiCut, and Direct Feed intake options allow operators to tailor the machines to best meet their crop needs. The OptiFeed intake is a noncutting rotor that provides consistent flow of the crop into the bale chamber. The OptiCut rotor offers excellent cutting quality and intake potential. The Direct Feed intake, available only on VB 3255 to 3285 models, allows for unrestricted intake and is designed to handle dry crops.
The bale chamber on the VB 3200 Series consists of three rollers and five belts. This bale chamber design provides fast, consistent core formation. In addition, the bale chamber cleaning system features a combination of several cleaning rollers and scrapers to help maintain peak performance levels while baling in adverse conditions. The VB 3260 to 3290 features heavy-duty bearings and reinforced, high-loaded rollers, in addition to an optional secondary drive. Standard on all Kuhn variable chamber balers, Progressive Density provides users with a well-shaped, solid bale. As the bale grows, the belt tensioning arms are subject to steadily increasing resistance from hydraulic cylinders
New compact track loaders from Cat Caterpillar’s new 255 and 265 compact track loaders are a ground-up redesign of the previous D3 series. The first next-generation models in the compact track loader line offer improved engine performance, lift and tilt performance, stability, operator comfort, and technology. The new 255 and 265 loaders are powered by Cat C2.8T and Cat C2.8TA engines, respectively, which offer 74.3 horsepower (HP). The new engines maintain horsepower across a wider rotations per minute (RPM) range and offer significant torque increases with gains of 13% for the 255 and 43% for the 265. New for these next-generation machines, the closed-center auxiliary hydraulic system allows the 255 and 265 to operate all Cat Smart attachments. For machines equipped with Standard Flow, both models are shipped from the factory outfitted as “High Flow ready.” The High Flow functionality is activated via a new softwareenabled attachment, permitting on-machine or remote activation of greater hydraulic flow. The High Flow XPS factory option boosts auxiliary hydraulic system pressure to 4061 pounds per square inch (psi) for both models while also increasing the hydraulic flow to 30 gallons per minute (gal/min) for the 255 and 34 gal/min for the 265. Both the Cat 255 and 265 compact track loaders feature a larger cab design with 22% more overall volume and 26% additional foot space. The new loaders are equipped with either a 5-inch standard LCD monitor or an 8-inch advanced touchscreen monitor. Entering and exiting the new loaders is much easier. The redesign allows the operator to open the cab door without the lift arms being fully lowered to the frame stops. For more information, visit: www.cat.com.
and a spring. The result is a very firm bale with a moderate core. VB 3260 to 3290 models offer the option for Progressive Density Plus, featuring a boost of up to 10% more density in dry crops. For more information, visit kuhn.com.
Pöttinger touts new triple mower The new mower combinations NOVACAT V 8400 and NOVACAT V 9200 from Pöttinger deliver performance with maximum working widths of 27.6 and 30.2 feet. Angled booms allow for an extremely short headstock. This creates a lighter-weight configuration with the center of gravity closer to the tractor. Depending on the terrain, both mower combinations can easily be operated with four-cylinder tractors. The heart of these mower combinations is the cutter bar. Just 1.6 inches high, the cutter bar guarantees optimum crop flow. And because it is only 11 inches deep, it delivers optimum ground tracking. The center pivot mounting on the mower units provides a floating travel of +20 degrees to -16 degrees to ensure perfect ground tracking. Hydraulic weight alleviation provides uniform ground pressure over the whole cutter bar width. The nonstop lift hydraulic collision safety device provides protection for the cutter bar. In addition, the mower efficiently avoids obstacles by folding backwards and raising the boom at the same time. The mower combinations are easy to operate because they are equipped with the Basicline preselect system as standard. On both systems, both mower units can be lifted separately using just one spool valve, which also actuates the transport safety interlock. With the Selectline preselect control system, the automatic individual lift system makes it easy to mow wedge-shaped fields. For road transport, the mower is hydraulically folded vertically to 92 degrees and then locked hydraulically in the transport position. Both mower combinations are available with swath formers, tine-type conditioners, or roller conditioners. For more information, visit poettinger.at/en_us.
The Machine Shed column will provide an opportunity to share information with readers on new equipment to enhance hay and forage production. Contact Managing Editor Mike Rankin at mrankin@hayandforage.com.
32 | Hay & Forage Grower | November 2023
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BUYERS MART U.S. Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Hay & Forage Grower 2. Publication No.: 021-713 3. Filing Date: September 25, 2023 4. Issue Frequency: January, February, March, April/May, August/September and November 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6 6. Annual Subscription Price: $0 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 28 Milwaukee Avenue West, PO Box 801, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson County, WI 53538-0801. Contact Person: Brian V. Knox, Telephone: 920-563-5551. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 28 Milwaukee Avenue West, PO Box 801, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson County, WI 53538-0801. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: W. D. Hoard & Sons Company, Brian V. Knox, 28 Milwaukee Avenue West, PO Box 801, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0801. Editor: Managing Editor: Michael C. Rankin, 28 Milwaukee Avenue West, P.O. Box 801, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0801 10. Owner: Hay & Forage LLC, 28 Milwaukee Ave. W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538; Paris M Knox 1990 Educational Trust, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538; Gillian V. Knox 1990 Educational Trust, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538; Brian V. Knox II 1992 Educational Trust, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538; Gregory J. Mode, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538; Gina L. Mode, 28 Milwaukee Ave., W, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status (for completion by non-profit organizations authorized to mail at non-profit rates: N/A 13. Publication Title: Hay & Forage Grower 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: August/September 2023 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 51,324 b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail): 1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 27,686 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS From 3541.(Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 0 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®: 0 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®): 0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 27,686 d. Non-requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail) 1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, builk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources): 22,850 2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources): 0 3. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, nonrequestor copies mailed in excess of 10% limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services rates): 0 4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include pickup stands, trade shows, showrooms, and other sources): 261 e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 23,111 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e): 50,797 g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3): 527 h. Total (Sum of 15f and g): 51,324 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100): 54.50% 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 51,507 b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail): 1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 32,406 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS From 3541.(Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 0 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®: 0 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®): 0 c.Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 32,406 d. Non-requested Distribution (By mail and outside the mail) 1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources): 18,286 2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources): 0 3. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, nonrequestor copies mailed in excess of 10% limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services rates): 0 4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include pickup stands, trade shows, showrooms, and other sources): 490 e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 18,776 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e): 51,182 g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3): 325 h. Total (Sum of 15f and g): 51,507 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100): 63.32% 16. Electronic Copy Circulation: Hay & Forage Grower. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Previous 12 Months: a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: 0 b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15C) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a): 27,686 c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a): 50,797 d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c X 100): 54.50%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation Hay & Forage Grower. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: 0 b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15C) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a): 32,406 c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a): 51,182 d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c X 100): 63.32%. I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic & print) are legitimate requests or paid copies. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2023 issue of this publication. 18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). Brian V. Knox, Publisher September 25, 2023
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FORAGE IQ Irrigation Show and Education Week November 27 to December 1 San Antonio, Texas Details: irrigationshow.org Kansas Forage and Grassland Conference December 6, Ottawa, Kan. Details: ksfgc.org/upcoming-events Western Alfalfa & Forage Symposium December 12 to 14, Sparks, Nev. Details: calhaysymposium.com American Forage & Grassland Council Annual Conference January 7 to 10, Mobile, Ala. Details: afgc.org Northwest Hay Expo January 17 and 18, Kennewick, Wash. Details: wa-hay.org Virginia Winter Forage Conferences January 23 to 26 (four locations) Details: vaforages.org/events Southwest Hay Conference January 24 to 26, Ruidoso, N.M. Details: nmhay.com Driftless Region Beef Conference January 25 and 26, Dubuque, Iowa Details: www.aep.iowastate.edu/beef U.S. Custom Harvesters Convention January 25 to 27, Oklahoma City, Okla. Details: uschi.com/convention Western Alfalfa Seed Growers Assn. Winter Seed Conference January 28 to 30, Nashville, Tenn. Details: wasga.org Equines and Endophytes Workshop January 31, 2024, Lexington, Ky. Details: grasslandrenewal.org/events Cattle Industry Convention NCBA Trade Show January 31 to February 2, Orlando, Fla. Details: convention.ncba.org GrassWorks Grazing Conference February 1 to 3, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Details: grassworks.org Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference February 8, Bowling Green, Ky. Details: forages.ca.uky.edu/Events
HAY MARKET UPDATE
The hay season ends Hay production for 2023 has come to a grinding halt in most of the U.S. In USDA’s October Crop Production, alfalfa hay production is forecasted to be 10% above 2022 while all other hay production is pegged at 8% higher. A final estimate won’t be known until January.
Overall, hay exports and prices continue to be down significantly from a year ago. The prices below are primarily from USDA hay market reports as of the beginning of mid-October. Prices are FOB barn/stack unless otherwise noted. •
For weekly updated hay prices, go to “USDA Hay Prices” at hayandforage.com Supreme-quality alfalfa California (intermountains) California (Central SJV) Colorado (northeast) Iowa (Rock Valley) Idaho (eastern) Kansas (northwest) Minnesota (Sauk Centre) Missouri New Mexico (north) Oregon (Lake County) South Dakota Texas (Panhandle) Texas (west) Washington Premium-quality alfalfa California (intermountains) California (southeast)-ssb California (southern) Colorado (San Luis Valley) Iowa (Rock Valley) Kansas (north central) Kansas (southeast) Missouri Montana ssb Nebraska (western) Nebraska (central) New Mexico (northwest)-ssb New Mexico (southern) Oregon (Lake County) Oregon (Crook Wasco)-ssb Texas (Panhandle) Washington ssb Wyoming (central) Wyoming (eastern) Good-quality alfalfa California (intermountains) California (southeast)-ssb Colorado (northeast) Iowa (Rock Valley)-lrb Kansas (north central) Kansas (southeast) Minnesota (Pipestone)-lrb Minnesota (Sauk Centre) Missouri-lrb Montana Nebraska (Platte Valley)-lrb Nebraska (central) Nebraska (eastern)-lrb Oklahoma (central) Oklahoma (northwest) Oregon (eastern) Oregon (Lake County) Pennsylvania (southeast)
Price $/ton 230-250 330-340 (d) 300 (d) 270 215 330-370 (d) 225-275 250-300 390 240 300 370-390 (d) 340-350 230 Price $/ton 200-215 250 230 320 (d) 215-220 325 300 200-250 315 260 175 290 300 220 390 340-360 385 200-225 250 Price $/ton 193 175 125 190-205 200 250-275 200 195 150-200 165 170 210 160-180 180 180 190 195 240-280
South Dakota South Dakota (Corsica)-lrb Texas (west) Texas (Panhandle) Washington Wyoming (western) Fair-quality alfalfa California (southeast) Idaho (cental) Iowa (Rock Valley)-lrb Kansas (northwest)-lrb Kansas (south central) Minnesota (Pipestone)-lrb Minnesota (Sauk Centre) Missouri-lrb Montana New Mexico (northwest) Pennsylvania (southeast) South Dakota South Dakota (Corsica)-lrb Washington Wyoming (western) Bermudagrass hay Alabama-Premium lrb California (southeast)-Premium ssb Oklahoma (northwest)-Good/Prem lrb Texas (central)-Premium ssb Texas (southern)-Good/Prem ssb Bromegrass hay Kansas (northeast)-Good lrb Kansas (southeast)-Good lrb Orchardgrass hay Oregon (Crook-Wasco)-Prem ssb Pennsylvania (southeast)-Good Pennsylvania (southeast)-Fair Timothy hay Colorado (northwest)-Premium Pennsylvania (southeast)-Fair ssb Washington-Premium ssb Prairie/meadow grass hay Nebraska (western)-Good lrb Nebraska (central)-Good lrb Pennsylvania (southeast)-Premium Pennsylvania (southeast)-Fair Oat hay Colorado (northeast)-Supreme Minnesota (Pipestone)-Fair lrb Wheat straw Iowa Iowa (Rock Valley) Kansas Minnesota (Sauk Centre) Pennsylvania (southeast) South Dakota
250 195 320-340 (d) 310-340 (d) 200 140 Price $/ton 105 (d) 140 175 180-190 170 170-185 170-190 125-150 150 280 190 200 160-165 160 185 Price $/ton 150-200 250 175 (d) 380-390 260-330 Price $/ton 130 180-200 Price $/ton 360 205-260 175 Price $/ton 280 170 400 Price $/ton 175 150-170 280-290 165-195 Price $/ton 140 50 Price $/ton 160 112-165 85 70-140 160-205 160
Abbreviations: d=delivered, lrb=large round bales, ssb=small square bales, o=organic
38 | Hay & Forage Grower | November 2023
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10/24/23 1:51 PM
ROLL OUT THE RED BALER. Meet the new machine that’s already famous for its winning combination of toughness and ease of use. Bank on the Hesston by Massey Ferguson® 1 Series round baler for dependable, long-lasting service, thanks to a heavy-duty design capable of maintaining your desired bale density, even at higher speeds. Plus, features like innovative net loading and an optional hydraulic drop floor ease your workload during long days of baling.
Visit www.masseyferguson.us and discover how the Hesston® 1 Series round baler can turn your baling into a premier event. ©2023 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. Hesston is a brand of AGCO. AGCO, Massey Ferguson and Hesston are trademarks of AGCO. All rights reserved.
by Mike Rankin
L
OUIS Nippert was a successful big-city lawyer by any measure, but he also had a love of the land. In 1949, he and his wife, Louise, decided to purchase a 47-acre farm that was just northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio, and known as Greenacres. It was the start of something much bigger. For nearly 40 years, Greenacres was operated as a “gentleman’s farm.” Nippert contacted every landowner around the property and made a handshake agreement to give him first right of refusal if they sold any of their land. This resulted in adding acres to the farm over a period of years, and now the Greenacres Indian Hill property totals 600 acres. In 1988, the Nipperts established the Greenacres Foundation with a goal of preserving the land for the education and enjoyment of future generations. Today, the farm sits in the middle of Indian Hill, an affluent Cincinnati suburb where the average household income approaches $200,000. The Greenacres Foundation has more recently purchased two more farms to expand their educational reach. One farm is in Brown County’s Lewis Township, southeast of Cincinnati, while the other is located in southeastern Indiana near Oldenburg. Greenacres is home to beef cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, and horses. The pasture-based livestock farms also produce vegetables and have managed woodlots. A farm store sells all of the products produced by Greenacres. Although livestock, vegetables, and trees abound on what is termed a “generative” production model, the farms’ primary
commodities are research and education. Greenacres hosts 30,000 school-aged children per year through field trips and summer camps. The Foundation employs 100 people, many of whom are educators. Children are taught not just about agriculture, but also resource preservation and the arts. Adult education is also offered along with equine education, and Greenacres employs a host of summer college interns each year. Agricultural and environmental research is a large part of Greenacres Foundation’s mission. It employs its own research staff that investigates practical answers to topics such as soil health, food quality, and the environment. The research scientists also collaborate with universities on selected research projects. Finally, the Foundation helps fund independent outside research through an extensive grant program. Although the farms are not Certified Organic, the overall mantra is to use chemical inputs only when absolutely needed. For example, antibiotics might occasionally be used to save a sick cow or glyphosate applied to a field that is being renovated for new pasture establishment.
Livestock based Beef and sheep graze together on most of the Greenacres’ pastures. Where feasible, they are followed by chickens. The farm also raises broiler chickens and turkeys on pasture. Pastures are routinely measured for biomass and a grazing wedge curve is developed to help dictate moves and ensure enough forage is available at current stocking densities. All of the beef raised and sold at Greenacres is grass fed and grass finished. During the winter, the beef animals receive
MIke Rankin
Greenacres is not your average farm
high-quality hay that is bale grazed. Greenacres continuously strives to improve their Black Angus beef herd, introducing genetic traits that make cows finish better on grass. Rather than using large-framed cattle, the farm strives to breed more medium-framed animals that are adapted to a grassbased system. These cattle are prone to better health and maintain a high level of reproductive efficiency. Greenacres’ researchers study farming practices that make farm products with better nutritional properties. This collaborative effort between their farmers and scientists creates beef with superior flavor, texture, and nutritional properties, according to the Foundation’s website.
New farm, new challenge The Greenacres Foundation purchased the Lewis Township farm in 2018. During many previous years, it had been farmed in continuous soybean and tobacco with high chemical and synthetic fertilizer inputs. Since the farm was purchased, Greenacres has been in the process of improving the health of the heavily compacted, low-carbon soil and converting the property into warm-season grass pastures using species such as indiangrass and big bluestem. Cover crops were originally used to help alleviate soil compaction. The University of Tennessee is collaborating on the warm-season grass project. In conjunction with The Ohio State University, a research project was also initiated to evaluate the most effective methods for establishing warm-season grasses. The three methods being studied are: 1. Herbicide application (imazapic) with no cover crop preplant, 2. Herbicide with one winter cover crop preplant, and 3. Organic with no herbicide and two cover crops preplant. Early results point to the need for the herbicide to aid in the establishment of the slow-growing warm-season grasses. A component of the farm transformation is to establish suitable habitat for bobwhite quail nesting. The species has been on a rapid decline in the region. Greenacres is also using prescribed burning to enhance warm-season grass productivity and bird-nesting habitat. The Greenacres Foundation fits the bill as an agricultural, environmental, educational, and research entity that is having a positive influence on its surrounding urban community. For more information, visit green-acres.org. • November 2023 | hayandforage.com | 5
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Forage quality analysis: timothy versus teff grass Average Quality analysis
Timothy hay
Teff hay
% crude protein
8 to 14
9 to 14
Acid detergent fiber (ADF)
32 to 36
32 to 38
Neutral detergent fiber (NDF)
53 to 59
53 to 65
Total digestible nutrients (TDN)
57 to 65
55 to 64
established teff can be cut approximately every 30 to 35 days until frost. Teff is best suited for haying operations; however established fields can be grazed by cattle, horses, sheep, and other livestock.
A premier horse forage After teff was first introduced as a forage grass in the U.S., the initial market was targeted for horses. This was in part due to teff’s close comparison nutritionally to timothy, which is considered by many people to be the premier grass for horse hay (see Table 1). Teff, due to its high forage quality and exceptional palatability, is considered
by some producers as the warm-season crop equivalent to timothy. However, timothy is a cool-season grass and therefore limited in its production area. Teff’s advantage over timothy is that it can be grown in warmer climates while still achieving high forage quality. Teff is also considered to be relatively low in nonstructural carbohydrates, which is a characteristic sought out by many horse owners when purchasing hay. In recent years, teff has also caught the attention of dairy nutritionists who want to add more grass into the dairy ration. Teff is known to have exceptional palatability and high animal acceptance, making it desirable in a dairy ration.
This, combined with its high summer yield and high forage quality, has given teff a foothold in the dairy market, and it is gaining traction. It is also being utilized by other livestock species, including beef cattle, sheep, and goats. Prussic acid or nitrate toxicity in teff forage has not been observed in late-season grazing or after a frost. Many factors go into the decision of what crop best fits a forage producer’s operation. Producers may want to seriously consider teff’s desirable agronomic and nutritional benefits as a component of the overall forage enterprise. The marketability of teff grass continues to expand. •
DON MILLER The author is a forage consultant based in Idaho.
The Power of Good Bacteria. SILOSOLVE® FC is a unique, dual-action inoculant that improves aerobic stability and at the same time improves dry matter recovery over a broad range of dry matter and forages. It has consistently yielded silage preferred by dairy cows and promotes rapid, controlled fermentation to ensure that dry matter and nutrients from the field are available. To learn more, scan the QR code.
SILOSOLVE 2023 Ad_HayForage_July.indd 1
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November 2023 | hayandforage.com |23
10/27/23 9:01 AM
Alfalfa Variety Ratings
2024
Winter Survival, Fall Dormancy & Pest Resistance Ratings for Alfalfa Varieties This National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance publication is intended for use by Extension and agri-business personnel to satisfy a need for information on characteristics of certified-eligible alfalfa varieties. NAFA updates this publication annually.
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WINTER SURVIVAL, FALL DORMANCY & PEST RESISTANCE RATINGS FOR ALFALFA VARIETIES % Resistant Plants 0-5% 6-14% 15-30% 31-50% >50%
RESISTANCE RATINGS Resistance Class Susceptible Low Resistance Moderate Resistance Resistance High Resistance
FD Rating 1 2 3 4 5
FALL DORMANCY (FD) RATING DESCRIPTIONS Description FD Rating Description Very Dormant 6 7 Semi-Dormant Dormant 8 9 Non-Dormant Moderately Dormant 10 11 Very Non-Dormant
FD is the degree of fall alfalfa growth, as a response to temperature and day length. Lower dormancy ratings exhibit less fall growth, while higher dormancy ratings indicate greater fall growth. FD ratings are indices assigned by comparing the height of fall growth with standard check varieties, and tested across locations and years to accurately represent dormancy response across environments.
Class Abbreviations S LR MR R HR
WINTER SURVIVAL RATINGS Category Check Variety Extremely Winterhardy ZG 9830 Very Winterhardy 5262 Winterhardy WL325HQ Moderately Winterhardy G-2852 Slightly Winterhardy Archer Non-Winterhardy CUF 101
Score 1 2 3 4 5 6
FD 3 - DORMANT
FD 2
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
Northern Root Knot Nematode
Southern Root Knot Nematode
Stem Nematode
Potato Leafhopper
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Pea Aphid
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot
Phytophthora Root Rot
Anthracnose Race 1
Fusarium Wilt
Verticillium Wilt
Bacterial Wilt
Winter Survival
Information is obtained from the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) and the National Alfalfa Variety Review Board (NAVRB) report. Blank spaces indicate the variety has no approved rating through AOSCA.
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
Foothold
BrettYoung
FSG 229CR
Farm Science
2 HR HR HR HR HR R
MR
Spredor 5
Nexgrow Alfalfa
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
54VQ52
Pioneer
6305Q
Nexgrow Alfalfa
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR
FSG 329
Farm Science
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
Graze N Hay 3.10RR
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
HVX Tundra II
Croplan
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
G RX
ISS 37Q
Innvictis Seed
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
R
H
G
LegenDairy AA
Croplan
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R HR
R
H
G
Octane
BrettYoung
HR
L
RR Presteez
Croplan
R HR
MR
H
G
Rugged II
Alforex Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
L
G
Shift
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
SW3407
Alfalfa Partners
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
WL 336HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
WL 3311HQ
W-L Alfalfas
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
HR HR R HR HR HR HR R
R
M
G
HR G
R
HR
HR R
R
H
HR
HR L
R
G
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR 1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
R HR
R
R
H R
R
R HR
MR
H
G
R
H
G
R
G R
2024 VL - 2
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Pioneer
HR HR R HR HR HR R
R HR
HR
54VR10
Pioneer
HR HR R HR HR HR HR R HR
R
431RRLH
Farm Science
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
438RR
Farm Science
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
4319.A2 RR
La Crosse Seed
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR MR R
6401N
Nexgrow Alfalfa
6424R
H L
R
HR HR
R R
H
G
H
R R
R HR
HR
HR M
Nexgrow Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR MR R
R
H
6427R
Nexgrow Alfalfa
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
HR
H
G
6439HVXR
Nexgrow Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
G RX
6453Q
Nexgrow Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
G
6497R
Nexgrow Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
R
H
G
Ace
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR
R MR R
HR
L
AFX 439
Alforex Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR R HR R
R
R
L
G
AFX 457
Alforex Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
R
R
R
L
G
AFX 460
Alforex Seeds
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
R
R
R
H
AFX 469
Alforex Seeds
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR MR R MR R
HR
R
L
G
HR HR HR HR HR HR
G R R
R
R
R
HR
M
G
R
HR
H
G
R HR
HR
M
G
AmeriStand 457TQ RR America's Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R HR
R
H
G
AmeriStand 481 HVXRR America's Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
G RX
AmeriStand 428TQ
America's Alfalfa
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
AmeriStand 446NT
America's Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR R
Barricade II
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR
R MR HR
HR
Camas
LG Seeds
HR R HR HR HR HR
HR R
HR
HR M
DG 417RR
Dyna-Gro
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
DG 4120
Dyna-Gro
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
Dynamo
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
FF 42.A3
La Crosse Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
FF 4022.LH
La Crosse Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
R
G
R G
M R
R
FD 4 - DORMANT
AmeriStand 416NT RR America's Alfalfa
HR HR HR HR HR R
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
54Q29
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
HR
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
R
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
Pioneer
Northern Root Knot Nematode
54Q16
Southern Root Knot Nematode
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
Stem Nematode
LG Seeds
Potato Leafhopper
Pea Aphid
5C400
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot
Phytophthora Root Rot
R
Anthracnose Race 1
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
Fusarium Wilt
LG Seeds
Verticillium Wilt
Winter Survival
4C450
Bacterial Wilt
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
H
HR R
2024 VL - 3
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FD 4 - DORMANT
FSG 450
Farm Science
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
GA-409
Preferred
GrandStand II
Dyna-Gro
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R HR
HR
M
HVX MegaTron
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
HVX MegaTron AA
Croplan
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R HR
R
HybriForce-4400
Dairyland Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
HR
HybriForce-4420/Wet Dairyland Seed
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
H
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
HR MR
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
R
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
Farm Science
Northern Root Knot Nematode
FSG 421LH
Southern Root Knot Nematode
R
Stem Nematode
R
Potato Leafhopper
2 HR R HR HR HR R
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Farm Science
Pea Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot
FSG 408DP
Phytophthora Root Rot
R
Anthracnose Race 1
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
Fusarium Wilt
La Crosse Seed
Verticillium Wilt
Winter Survival
FF 4215.HVX RR
Bacterial Wilt
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
RX
HR
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
L-442RR
Legacy Seeds
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
L-457HD+
Legacy Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR MR
LG 4C100
LG Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
LG 4HVXR100
LG Seeds
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
LG 4R300
LG Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR
LG 4R400
R HR
R
G RX G RX
MR
R
H L
H
H
R
MR R
R
R
R
M
R
R
H
RX
HR HR
HR
M
R
LG Seeds
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R MR
MR
H
R
Magnum 7
Dairyland Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
HR R HR
Magnum 8
Dairyland Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R MR R
R
Magnum 8-Wet
Dairyland Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R MR R
MR
Optimus
BrettYoung
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
Rebound AA
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
Reload
BrettYoung
RR AphaTron AA
Croplan
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
RR Stratica
Croplan
RR VaMoose
MR HR R R
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R MR R
R
L L
R
M
R
H
R
L
R
R
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR R
R
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
MR R
HR MR
SGS 47M
Innvictis Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
Shockwave II
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
L
Stockpile II
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
L
SW4107
Alfalfa Partners
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR MR R
R
SW4515
Alfalfa Partners
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
HR
R
H
G
G
R
G
R
G
R
H
2024 VL - 4
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W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
WL 3441HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
HR
WL 3451HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
WL 3471.HVXRR
W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
R
H
55H96
Pioneer
HR R HR HR HR HR HR R
6516R
Nexgrow Alfalfa
HR
6585Q
HR
G
M R H
G
R
G
R
G RX
HR
HR HR HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR M
G
Nexgrow Alfalfa
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
HR
H
G
AFX 579
Alforex Seeds
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
AmeriStand 518NT
America's Alfalfa
HR HR HR HR HR HR
AmeriStand 545NT RR America's Alfalfa
R
R
HR
R
L
G
HR
HR
HR H
G
R HR R HR HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR M
G
R
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R HR
R
H
G
R
R
Farm Science
GA-497HD
Preferred
HR HR HR HR HR HR
GA-535
Preferred
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR
R
GUNNER AA
Croplan
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR
HR
H
L-450RR
Legacy Seeds
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
MR HR
R
M
R
LG 5R300
LG Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR HR
HR
M
R
MPIII Max Q
Innvictis Seed
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R HR
HR
H
G
RR Saltiva
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R HR MR
HR
M
G
R
RR Tonnica
Croplan
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
R
H
G
R
Slingshot
BrettYoung
2
HR HR
HR
HR H
Sureshot
BrettYoung
SW5615
Alfalfa Partners
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR R
SW5637S
Alfalfa Partners
HR HR R HR HR HR R
WL 365HQ
W-L Alfalfas
1 HR HR HR HR HR HR R HR HR
R
WL 372HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
HR
H
G
WL 375HVX.RR
W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
HR
H
G RX
WL 377HQ
W-L Alfalfas
HR HR HR HR HR HR
HR HR
HR
HR M
WL 3521HQ
W-L Alfalfas
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R R
R
H G
FD 5 - MODERATELY DORMANT
FSG 527
R HR HR HR HR HR
FD 4
HR
R
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
WL 359LH.RR
H
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR R
R
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
W-L Alfalfas
Pea Aphid
WL 358LH
HR
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
Northern Root Knot Nematode
Southern Root Knot Nematode
Stem Nematode
Potato Leafhopper
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot
Phytophthora Root Rot
Anthracnose Race 1
2 HR HR HR HR HR HR HR
Fusarium Wilt
W-L Alfalfas
Verticillium Wilt
Winter Survival
WL 349HQ
Bacterial Wilt
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
L HR F
R
G R
G G
2024 VL - 5
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FD 6 - SEMI-DORMANT FD 7 - SEMI-DORMANT FD 8 - NON-DORMANT FD 9 - NON-DORMANT
ArtesianSun 6.3
Croplan
R HR HR HR HR HR
HR
HR
HybriForce-3600
Dairyland Seed
HR R HR HR R
L-602
Legacy Seeds
HR HR HR HR HR HR R
Revolver
BrettYoung
HR HR HR HR HR HR
R
RR 6 Shot Plus
Croplan
R HR HR HR HR R
HR HR
HR
SW6330
Alfalfa Partners
R LR R
R HR MR
MR R
WL 458HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
3 HR HR HR HR HR HR
R HR R
WL 467HQ
W-L Alfalfas
HR R HR HR HR
6829R
Nexgrow Alfalfa
R
R
AFX 779
Alforex Seeds
R
R
AmeriStand 618NT
HR R HR
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
R HR
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
HR
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
HR HR HR HR HR
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
Alforex Seeds
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
AFX 670
Northern Root Knot Nematode
Southern Root Knot Nematode
Stem Nematode
Potato Leafhopper
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Pea Aphid
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot
Phytophthora Root Rot
Anthracnose Race 1
Fusarium Wilt
Verticillium Wilt
Bacterial Wilt
Winter Survival
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
G MR H
G
HR HR HR
H
R R
R
R L
G
R
HR
L
G
R
R HR
HR
HR M
G
R HR HR
HR HR R
HR
G
R
R
HR HR R
R
G
America's Alfalfa
MR MR HR R HR
HR HR HR
HR
M
LG 7C300
LG Seeds
HR R HR HR HR
HR HR
HR
M
LG 7R400
LG Seeds
R HR HR R HR R
HR HR R
R
SW7408
Alfalfa Partners
R
R HR HR HR LR
HR HR HR
R
AmeriStand 803T
America's Alfalfa
MR
HR MR HR
R HR HR
HR
HR
G
AmeriStand 835NTS RR America's Alfalfa
R MR HR LR R
HR HR HR
HR
HR
G
Sun Titan
Croplan
MR MR HR R HR
HR HR HR
HR
SW8421S
Alfalfa Partners
HR
HR R
WL 538HQ
W-L Alfalfas
R
R HR HR HR
HR HR HR
R
G
WL 558HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
HR R HR R HR
HR HR R
R
G
9R400RR
LG Seeds
R
R HR R HR
HR HR R
HR
6906N
Nexgrow Alfalfa
MR
HR R
R
HR HR HR
HR
AmeriStand 901TS
America's Alfalfa
R MR HR R HR
HR R
R
RR Desert Rose
Croplan
R
HR HR HR
R
G
Sun Quest
Croplan
MR
R
R HR
HR HR HR
HR
G
SW9720
Alfalfa Partners
MR
R
R
HR HR R
MR HR
G/F
SW9813S
Alfalfa Partners
R
R
R
R
R HR
MR
G/F
WL 656HQ
W-L Alfalfas
MR
HR R HR
HR HR HR
HR
G
WL 668HQ.RR
W-L Alfalfas
HR R HR HR HR
HR HR R
HR
G
R
R
HR
R
R
R HR HR HR
R
R
G
R
R
G R
F
R R
G HR
G R
R
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R
R
R
R
HR HR HR
R-RRA; X-HarvXtra; H-75-95% Hybrid
Salt Tolerance (G-Germination/F-Forage)
Standability Expression (R-Resistance)
Continuous Grazing Tolerance (Y-Yes)
Multifoliolate Expression (H-High/M-Mod/L-Low)
Northern Root Knot Nematode
Southern Root Knot Nematode
Stem Nematode
Potato Leafhopper
MR
R
Blue Alfalfa Aphid
Alfalfa Partners
Pea Aphid
SW10
Spotted Alfalfa Aphid
Aphanomyces Race 1 Root Rot R
Aphanomyces Race 2 Root Rot
Phytophthora Root Rot
R HR HR R
Anthracnose Race 1
Verticillium Wilt
R
Fusarium Wilt
Bacterial Wilt
LG Seeds
Winter Survival
10C400
FD 10
Variety
Contact for Marketing Information
R
This publication provides ratings of alfalfa varieties eligible for certification by seed certifying agencies. It does not list all important characteristics to be considered in the selection of alfalfa varieties. With the exception of some varieties listed as checks, all varieties listed can be purchased in the United States.
PUBLIC ALFALFA VARIETY TRIALS Institution
Contact
Link
University of California-Davis
Dan Putnam Chris DeBen
alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/variety-selection
University of Kentucky
Gene Olson
forages.ca.uky.edu/variety_trials
Michigan State University
Kim Cassida Joe Paling
forage.msu.edu/publications
Mississippi State University
Joshua White
mafes.msstate.edu/variety-trials/forage.asp
New Mexico State University
Leonard Lauriault
pubs.nmsu.edu/specialty/index.html
Cornell University
Virginia Moore Julie Hansen
blogs.cornell.edu/varietytrials/forage
Pennsylvania State University
Guojie Wang
extension.psu.edu/forage-variety-trials-reports
South Dakota State University
Sara Bauder
extension.sdstate.edu/agriculture/crops/forage
Washington State University
Steve Norberg
extension.wsu.edu/benton-franklin/agriculture/forages
NAFA OFFICE
4630 Churchill Street, #1 St. Paul, MN 55126 Phone: (651) 484-3888 • Fax: (651) 638-0756 nafa@alfalfa.org
VISIT NAFA AT ALFALFA.ORG
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MARKETERS
Varieties are submitted by marketers and listing does not imply NAFA endorsement. Variety information in this publication is that which is submitted for certification.
Alforex Seeds
Innvictis Seed Solutions, LLC
Nutrien Ag Solutions
Leaflet Listing: Alforex Seeds
Leaflet Listing: Innvictis Seed
Leaflet Listing: Dyna-Gro
Jordan, MN 55352 877-560-5181
Boise, ID 83702 559-631-2261
Geneseo, IL 61254 309-581-5619
www.alforexseeds.com
www.innvictis.com
www.dynagroseed.com
America’s Alfalfa
La Crosse Seed
Pioneer® Brand
Leaflet Listing: America’s Alfalfa
Leaflet Listing: La Crosse Seed
Leaflet Listing: Pioneer
Nampa, ID 83653 800-406-7662
La Crosse, WI 54603 800-356-7333
Johnston, IA 50131 715-223-7390
www.americasalfalfa.com
www.lacrosseseed.com
www.pioneer.com
BrettYoung
Legacy Seeds LLC
Preferred Alfalfa Genetics
Leaflet Listing: BrettYoung
Leaflet Listing: Legacy Seeds
Leaflet Listing: Preferred
Winnipeg, MB R3V 1L5 800-665-5015
Scandinavia, WI 54977 715-467-2555
Story City, IA 50248 515-733-2203
www.brettyoung.ca
www.legacyseeds.com
brendale@outlook.com
CROPLAN Seed
LG Seeds
S&W Seed Company
Leaflet Listing: Croplan
Leaflet Listing: LG Seeds
Leaflet Listing: Alfalfa Partners
Arden Hills, MN 55126 800-328-9680
Westfield, IN 46074 317-896-0662
Longmont, CO 80501 720-506-9191
www.croplan.com
www.lgseeds.com
www.alfalfapartners.com
Dairyland Seed
NEXGROW Alfalfa
W-L Alfalfas
Leaflet Listing: Dairyland Seed
Leaflet Listing: Nexgrow Alfalfa
Leaflet Listing: W-L Alfalfas
West Bend, WI 53095 800-236-0163
West Salem, WI 54669 800-406-7662
Arden Hills, MN 55126 800-406-7662
www.dairylandseed.com
www.plantnexgrow.com
www.wlalfalfas.com
Farm Science Genetics
NAFA is proud to collaborate with Hay & Forage Grower on the distribution of its “Winter Survival, Fall Dormancy & Pest Resistance Ratings for Alfalfa Varieties” 2024 Edition.
Leaflet Listing: Farm Science
Nampa, ID 83686 888-252-7573 www.farmsciencegenetics.com
“Winter Survival, Fall Dormancy & Pest Resistance Ratings for Alfalfa Varieties” 2024 Edition is a publication of the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance and cannot be reproduced without prior written permission from NAFA.
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